Fashion Design Essentials

rwt Design Essentials

Text © 2011 by Rockport Pub l ishers

Design © 2011 by Rockport Pu b l ishers

Fi rst pu b l ished in the U n ited States of America i n 2011 by

Rockport Pub l i shers, a member of

Q uays ide Pub l i sh ing G roup

1 00 C u m m ings Center

Su ite 406-L

Beverly, M a ssach usetts 0191 5-6101

Te lephone : (978) 282-9590

Fax : (978) 283-2742

www.rockpub.com

A l l r ights reserved. N o part of th is book may be reproduced in a ny form

without written perm i ss ion of the copyright owners. A l l i mages i n th i s

book have been reprod uced with the knowledge a n d pr ior consent of the

a rt ists concerned, and n o respons ib i l ity i s accepted by producer, pub l isher,

or pr i nter for any i nfr ingement of copyright or otherwise, a ris ing from the

contents of th is pub l icat ion . Every effort has been made to ensure that

cred its accurately comply with information supp l ied. We a po log ize for any

inaccu rac ies that may have occu rred and w i l l reso lve inaccurate o r m i ss ing

information i n a s u bsequent repr int ing of the book.

1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

I S B N-1 3 : 978-1 -59253-701-3

I S B N -l0: 1-59253-701-4

D igita l edit ion pub l ished i n 2011

e I S B N -1 3 : 978-1 -61 058-043-4

D igita l ed it ion : 978-1-61058-043-4

Softcover ed it ion : 978-1 -59253-701-3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available

Design: Kathie A lexander

Photographs and i l l u strat ions by Jay Ca lder in u n less otherwise noted .

Pr inted in C h i na

rwt Design Essentials 100 Principles of Fashion Design

CD ." ;g '" < c: '" 0 '" ID r-� n

r-iC: • - ;:III: .. .. 00-0 • 0 :I: :I: 0 c: m .. '" ;g .. '" .. .. 00 -t

Jay Calderin

CO NTENT S

I ntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

T H O U G H T

1. H istorical Reference and Reverence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

2. Emulation and I nnovation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

3. Trends: On, Off, and Adjacent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

4. Corroborating Couture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4

5. Forging Identity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6

6. Sensing Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8

7. Fashion Equations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

8. Suits of Armor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

9. C l ient Compatibi l ity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

10. Custom ization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

11. Restra int, I m pu lse, and I m pact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

12. Mind Ma pping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

13. Net and Narrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

14. Disposable as I nvestment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

15. Environ menta l Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

I N V E N TO RY

16. Acquisitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

17. Co l laboration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

18. Articu lation of Style . . . .

19. Bu i ld ing and Breaking Templates

. . . . . . . . 42

. . . . . . . 44

20. Pattern I nstruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

21. Stitch ing Too ls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

22. Rendering Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

23. Ta ming Texti l es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

24. Letters: Siopers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

25. Words: Garments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

26. Sentences: Ensembles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

27. Stories: Col lections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

28. Punctuation: Deta i ls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

29. Closures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

30. Specialty Requisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

31. Misce l laneous Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

32. Care and Feeding of a Garment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

33. Ancient Too ls and Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

34. Accessory Closet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

35. Vintage Pat ina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

T EC H N I Q U E

36. Fashion Translations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

37. Fou r Seasons: A Timel ine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

38. Rote, Ru les, and Roughs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

39. Hand to Eye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

40. Checks and Balances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

41. Machine I nterface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

42. Cut, Drape, and Fo ld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

43. Underpinn ings and Assem bly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

44. Manipulating Ful l ness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

45. Body Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

46. U niformity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

47. Fit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

48. Mend and Alter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

49. Deconstruct and Reconstruct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

50. Structure and Sca le . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

51. Anatomica l ly Correct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

52. Roads Less Traveled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

53. Camouflage and Complement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 2

54. C l othes That Carry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 4

55. Design u nto Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 16

56. Reshape and Reconfigure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 18

57. Resu rface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

58. A Cut Above . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

59. Fringe and Fray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

60. Add, Subtract, and Preserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

61. Change Agents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

62. Drawing the Eye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 30

63. A-Symmetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

64. I ntarsia: Puzzles and Missing Lin ks . . . . . . . . . 134

65. The Revea l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

A R T I STRY

66. Cu ltivated I nf luence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

67. C u rated Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

68. Culture Fi lter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

69. More Is More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

70. Less Is More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

71. Meditation on a Dress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

72. Bui ld ing on Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 50

73. Design of Dissent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

74. Attitude Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

75. Myths and Archetypes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

76. Wit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

77. B lackouts and Fu l l I m mersion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 60

78. Representation and Abstraction . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 62

79. Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

80. Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 66

81. Trompe L'Oei l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

82. Space and Sculpture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

83. Matters of Size: Addressing Curves . . . . . . . . . 1 72

84. Dressing for Bowie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

85. Objects of Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 76

N AV I G AT I O N

86. A Designer's I nheritance . . . . . . . . . . . .

87. Luxury Washing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . 1 78

. . . . 1 80

88. Copies Degrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 182

89. Platforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

90. Label Maker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186

91. Master and Apprentice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

92. Design ing the Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 90

93. External I nfluences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 92

94. Lifestyle: A Rosetta Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

95. Fashion Portals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

96. Diversification and Specia l ization . . . . . . . . . . . 198

97. C rowdsourcing Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

98. Labors of Love: Diy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

99. Rapid Prototyping:

Twenty-Fou r-Hour Fashion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

100. What Is Good Fashion? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

Contributor I ndex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208

Pierre Card in coat and hat,

Autumn/Winter 1959/60

PHOTO BY RDA/AGIP/GETTY IMAGES

INTRODUCTION

Creative ideas are elevated by experience and

expertise. Th is book sets forth a cha l lenge to

fash ion designers: Cont inue to expand your hor i

zons, hone you r sk i l l s, a nd experim ent with st rat

egies. The idea beh ind col lect ing and cataloging

the essent ia l pr inc ip les of fash ion des ign i s to

bu i l d a framework for artfu l exa m i nat ion that the

designer can rev is it regu la r ly for i n sp i rat ion and

i nstruction . Th is book i s for a nyone devoted to

fash ion-whether you are a profess iona l design

er, a des ign student, o r a fash ion D I Y enthus iast .

The wor ld of fas h ion des ign is constant ly

changing-what was in sty le last month may be

old hat now, but if you know how to stay a head

of trends and keep you r des ign sk i l l s sha rp, you ' l l

a lways b e ahead o f the c u rve. Fashion Design

Essentials offers pr inc ip les, tools, and processes

for succeed ing in a l l fash ion endeavors.

Ed it ing the l ist to one h u n d red concepts is meant

to he lp o rgan ize and pr iorit ize th is i n formation

for max imum eff ic iency. The references in each

layout have been se lected beca use they hone i n

o n the essence of the topic with precis ion , wh i le

a l lowing for d iverse rei nterpretat ion, not s imp ly

reproduct ion .

Five primary areas of investigation provide the

structure for the book. In many ways, they can be

described a s a set of best practices for cu l t ivat

ing creativity:

Thought

Intellectual exercises that a re intended to serve a s

cata lysts for channe l i ng creativity

Inventory

Definitions and applications for us ing o r repu r

posing tools, man power, and raw m ateria l s for

fas h ion design

Technique

Fundamental skills for identify ing and execut ing

fas h ion design ideas

Artistry

Creative rituals that he lp conj u re a n d cu lt ivate the

i maginative inst incts of a fas h ion designer

Navigation

Diverse strategies designed to a l low a fash ion

des igner to negotiate a c lear path to success

Each essent ia l concept i s u l t imately a source of

st i m u l i that m ust be dec iphered and then s ha ped

to fit the project at hand . Dedicat ion and atten

t ion to deta i l d u ring that exa m i nat ion wi l l he lp

leverage a des igner's v is ion .

I n a n attempt to round out the whole exper ience,

some ph i losophica l debates a re woven i nto the

ideas t h roughout the book, such as the benefits

or fa r-reac h i ng i m pact today's fas h ion designers

w i l l have on the foreseeab le future.

7

THOUGHT

1 Historical Reference and Reverence

I t i s sa id that those who don't learn from h istory

a re doomed to repeat it . With in the fra m e of

fash ion , those who don 't learn from h istory a re

doomed to waste a wea lth of i nsp i rat ion . Three

ma instays in the fash ion world that a re restyled

t ime and aga i n a re corsets, a prons, and k imonos.

The corset, or ig ina l l y a fou ndation garment,

sti l l reigns s u p reme on the fash ion landscape.

Commonly a ssociated with goth, fet ish, and

most recent ly, Steam punk fash ions, coutur iers

such as Th ierry M ugler and Jean Pau l G a u lt ier

have been responsib le for ra is ing the corset to

an iconic status .

The apron at i ts most funct iona l protects c loth

ing from wear and tear. Aprons at their m ost

gla morous have graced the ru nways of A lexander

McQueen, M i u Miu , and M a rc Jacobs a s fash ion

accessor ies . Short-waist aprons made in pract i

ca l fabr ics as we l l as decorative hostess aprons

speak to a t ime when homemak ing was a way

of l i fe for most women. Long vers ions such as

the b ist ro a pron are a mong many that a re used

in the service i n d u stry. The bi b-sty le a p ron can

take shape in leather, rubber, or heavy canvas for

more rugged uses. The p inafore is a decorative

sty le of apron that conj u res u p i mages of l i fe on

the pra i r ie-a look that was very popular in the

1 970s. The cobb ler apron is a pu l lover style with

a front, a back, and t ies on the side. Whether i t is

incorporated i nto a co l l ect ion by way of nosta lgia

or ut i l ity, the a p ron st i l l makes str ides in fash ion .

The k imono is a fu l l - l ength, T-shaped robe.

When part of a t rad it iona l ensemble, i t i s sec

u red with an obi sash. The k imono i s m ade from

a tan , wh ich i s a fixed bolt of fa br ic m easuring

14 i nches by 12 .5 yards (35 cm x 1 2 m) . The

length is cut i nto four pa nels of fabr ic that make

up the two s ides of the body and both s leeves.

A col l a r and la pel-sty le panels a re added with

sma l l str ips of fa br ic . K imonos were or ig i na l ly

d isassem b led for clean i ng a n d reconstructed

by hand .

8 Fashion Design Essentials

4

5

6

"

0

.....

r---L

f fr

-

1. Corset by Joe Carl

2. Vintage apron-Poor Little

Rich Girl

3. "Old Japan" Bridal Kimono

(circa 19805)

4. Corset

5. Apron

6. Kimono

French model Audrey

Marnay in a tweed corset

suit by Thierry Mugler, haute

couture collection, Autumn/

Winter 1998/99

THOUGHT

2 Emulation and Innovation

Emu lat ing styles from the past often w i l l go a

long way i n fash ion des ign, as everyth ing eventu

a l ly makes a comeback. The grace of G rec ian

gowns forever i m morta l ized i n stone i s a pr ime

exa mple of the power of a fash ion idea that does

not s imp ly s u rvive, but th rives in the i m agina

t ions of fash ion designers t h roughout h istory. I n

the 1 920s, Madele ine Vionnet was inf luenced

by the dances of I sadora Duncan who, in t u rn,

was insp i red by G reek scu l pt u res. W h i le V ionnet

commanded the b ias, H a lston s u m m oned the

sp i r it of these endur ing d ra pes and fo lds with the

knit jersey in the 1 970s. The H ouse of H a lston

conti n ues to pay homage to that aesthetic today.

At every level of the marketp lace a n d from every

corner of the globe, the goddess gown cont in

ues to spr ing from the co l lect ions of designers

who can appreciate its bea uty and who wish to

interpret i t for themse lves. Des igners can take a

cue from t h is exa mple a n d explore the degrees of

separat ion that l i n k them a n d a ny of the i r ideas

to k i ndred h istorical cou nterparts.

1 0 Fashion Design Essentials

Below: G reek-inspired statue

Right: Floor-length

Madeleine Vionnet d ress,

September 1935

Halston fashion show

Autumn/Winter 2008/09

New York City

THOUGHT

3 Trends: On, Off, and Adjacent

Although t rends a re no longer d ictated, des ign

houses spend a great dea l of t ime and money

try i ng to pred ict t rends and/or set them into

motion. Designers look ing to f ind the i r p lace in

the market m ust know whether they i ntend to

be o n-trend, t rend -adjacent, o r off-trend a lto

gether. They m ust conscious ly decide whether

they w i l l lead, fol low, or ignore a trend. Although

trend-consc ious des igners r ide the wave of the

media and the pub l ic's c lamoring for examp les of

the latest fash ions, designers who i ntent ion a l ly

m iss the bandwagon sometimes f ind that the ir

independent perspect ives i nadvertent ly tr igger

trends or cou ntertrends of the i r own. On-trend

co l l ect ions w i l l be boi l ing over with the concept.

An a lternative approach to the latest craze may

be to f ind sma l l e r and s u bt le r ways to e m b race

it without m a king it the focus . The consumer

b reaks down the same way, and a designer who

has a c lear understand i ng of where she sta nds

on trend wi l l connect with the right aud ience for

her product.

Leopard and other a n i ma l pr i nts get pu l led out of

re lat ive obscu rity a n d a re presented as fresh and

new every few seasons. I n fa i rness, des igners

w i l l be m oved by a t rend i n d ifferent ways from

season to season, resu lt ing in new and i nterest

ing interpretat ions of it. I f a designer decides to

offer the trend du jour as a statement garment,

accent p iece, and accessory, she m a kes it easy

for c l ients to adopt at least one i nterpretat ion of

it on the i r own terms. Then, of cou rse, there are

those who w i l l want to have noth ing to do with

it . The fash ion fi l m c lass ic Funny Face depicts

the chara cter of fash ion editor Maggie Prescott

pai nt i ng the town p ink . Someone on h e r staff

asks, " I haven't seen a woman i n two weeks i n

a nyth i ng b u t p i n k . W hat a bout you?" Prescott

repl ies, "Me? I wou ldn 't be caught dead." Truth

is , many t rends a re not mere ly forecasted, but

often made by a n i ndustry.


� I o -< o � < m < ,. z ,. G> o � -< z � m =1 <

:;: ,. � �

Above: Model Naomi

Campbel l in leopard print

hat, 2004

Below: Anna Wintour in

leopard print jacket, 2007

� I o -< o � <

6 z < � ,. � � o

i � :;: ,.

10..........1 �

Publ icity portrait of actress

Audrey Hepburn as she

wears a wide-brimmed hat

and white blouse during the

f i lming of Funny Face, d i rected

by Stanley Donen, 1957

o >o I �

THOUGHT

4 Corroborating Couture

Fash ion h istory i s the next best th ing to a t ime

mach ine for the fash ion designer. Contact with

a uthent ic a rt ifacts brings the true essence of

a t ime into sharper focus, whether those a rt i

facts a re the actua l garments and accessories,

or i l l u st rat ions, photos, and f i lm c l i ps. Eras are

com posed of complexit ies that i nvolve every

th ing from science to ce lebrity. The 1950s, for

i nstance, could be a source for fash ions i nformed

by the Cold War, teenage cu ltu re, fou ndat ion

garments, rock-and-ro l l , o r popu lar te levis ion

program s such as I Love Lucy.

Paco Rabanne's fash ions i n the 1 960s were

considered "out of th i s wor ld ." At a t ime when

the race to the moon was heat ing up, v is ions of a

futu re i n space fue led the i maginat ions of many

designers . Raba n n e's foray i nto fi l m led h im to

team with designer Jacques Fonteray. Together

they created the costumes for the cu l t c lassic

f i lm Barbarella. Although many of the c lothes i n

th is gen re now seem dated, e lements of the i r

fash ion pred ict ions for the fut u re l ive on .

H a l l m a rks of the 1 970s i n c l ude the explorat ion

of androgyny and a growing im portance for the

re lat ions h ip between fash ion and ce lebr ity. U n i

sex fash ion b lu rred t h e l i nes between the sexes,

and even though genderless jumpsu its never

beca me a ma instay, pants p layed a b igger part

in women's fash ion than ever before. Fash ion

beca me a bout la bels, so much so that they were

no longer on the i ns ide of garments but bold ly

d isp layed on the back pocket of designer jeans .

Everyth ing was big in the 1 9 80s-h a i r, jewel ry,

belts, and most of a l l , shou lder pads, wh ich

were served u p in d ra m at ic proport ions . Fash ion

designer and te levis ion costumer No lan M i l l e r i s

best known for creat ing the fash ions for the cast

of the popu l a r 1980s televis ion ser ies Dynasty.

C a reful study of bygone eras (or the current o ne)

can lead designers to consider how they may be

ab le to best define the t i mes they are l iv ing i n .


Right: Maureen McCormick

and Barry Wil l iams rehearse

on the set of The Brady Bunch

Hour, 1977.

Below: Linda Evans, John

Forsythe, and Joan Col l ins,

who starred in Dynasty

THOUGHT

5 Forging Identity

"Age can not wither her . . . " These words from

Shakespeare best descr ibe Betsey Johnson's

stay ing power in the fash ion i ndustry. A Betsey

Johnson ru nway show is not com plete unt i l the

b ra nd's namesake takes her bow i n the form of

a cartwhee l . Gymnastics as ide, the sp i r it of the

gesture is what is i m porta nt . The brand 's the

th ing in fas h ion , and i n th is case, consistency

youthfu l sp i r it, f l i rty fem i n i n ity, a n d a wi ld-ch i l d

p layfu l ness-is respons ib le for ma king Betsey

Johnson such a recognizable labe l .

G reat b rands h ave one th ing i n common: They

de l iver messages, prod ucts, and services that

evo lve, but never deviate too far from the fun

damenta l s that generated them. Designers can

craft an identity with every choice they make.


Designer Betsey Johnson

does a signature cartwheel

after her spring 2009

collection show at Mercedes

Benz Fashion Week, 2008,

in New York City.

THOUGHT

6 Sensing Style

Each of the five senses p lays a s ignif icant ro le

in how we interpret fash ion , and each shou ld be

considered in the design process.

Sight

This i s eas i ly the fastest way to assess whether

someth ing is p leasing or not. H ow d o shape and

scale relate to each other? How vi brant i s the

color? H ow d ramatic is the contrast?

Touch

Th is i s the second most i m portant factor. H ow

does the materi a l feel aga i n st your sk in? Does

the garment conform to your body and feel com

forta b le? Is the mater ia l soft and p l ia ble, o r st iff?

Sound

I magine the c l icks of loose beads knocking i nto

each other; cr i sp, papery fa br ics that rust le a s

they sway o n t h e body; t h e synthetic squeak a n d

crunch of plast ic as i t stra i n s t o move.

Smell

Scents have been designed and a re chosen to

transform env i ronments, camouflage, or se

duce. For examp le, the Thomas P ink labe l , wh ich

pr imar i ly sel l s dress s h i rts for men a nd women,

pi pes a fresh l aundered scent i nto its stores as

part of i ts reta i l strategy. Although subt le, deta i l s

s u c h as th i s serve a s a psychological tr igger,

he ighte n i ng the fash ion exper ience through

a romathera py.

Taste

Edib le ga rments m ight seem l i ke the excl us ive

domain of naughty n ove lt ies, but food a n d

fash ion have always had a mutua l ly insp i rat iona l

re lat ionsh ip . Jean Pau l Gau lt ier's dress scu l pt u res

made of b read m ight make the mouth water

inasmuch as they cou ld insp i re the co lor, texture,

and form of an actua l garment. The Sa lon d u

C hocolat i s a chocolate expo that recognizes the

bond between the food i e and the fash ion i sta . A

fa nc i fu l fash ion runway show is a h igh l ight of the

event, and features mode ls c lad in every k ind of

cocoa confect ion .


Fashion designer Jean

Pau l Gau ltier poses with

a sculpture of one of his

dresses made of bread

by French bakers for an

exhibition at the Cartier

Foundation in Paris, 2004.

Left: Jon F ishman's Sonic

Rhythm Dress by Alyce

Santoro, Sonic Fabric 2003.

Sonic fabric is woven from

50 percent recorded audio

cassette tape and 50 percent

polyester thread . When

gloves equipped with tape

heads are rubbed against the

fabric the d ress makes sound.

Below: Y ing Gao's Walking

City pneumatic fashions,

which are triggered by

movement, wind, and touch.

� I o -; o � � '" o o ;;: Z (5 C m

0;: o z o

Human beings have more

than just five senses. Con

sider the sense of balance,

acceleration, temperature,

kinesthetic, pain, and the

sense of d i rection. Royal

Phi l ips Electronics of the

Netherlands is working on

projects that promise a new

level of interaction between

appa rel and the wearer.

Textiles infused with sensors

that read and respond to

movement, biological varia

tions, and external factors

h int at the future of fashion.

One example is the SK IN :

dress, which uses pattern

and color changes to display

a person's emotional state.

THOUGHT

7 Fashion Equations

The basic a r ithmetic of dressing can be a useful

way to bu i ld a col lect ion . Top p lus bottom is easy

enough, but which top? Which bottom? Once

the designer figu res out which bas ics w i l l fit i nto

a co l lection as wel l as i nto a c l i ent's ward robe, he

can beg in to ca lcu late the va r iab les .

Des ign deta i l s as ide, customers have other

demands, such a s pract ica l ity and comfort, when

it comes to m ix i ng and matchi ng. The designer

m u st a n a lyze those needs, design components

that w i l l fit i nto the arch itectu re of the col lection,

and engineer the garments themselves. B roaden

ing a customer's ward robe of bas ics or a de

s igner's core l ine i s easy to do. H aving more than

one variation of each fundamental garment i s a n

effortless way to increase the n u mber of opt ions .

Once a structure i s i n p lace, i t is easy to pu l l i n

accessories to keep t h ings i nterest ing.

I n 1 985, the fi rst Donna Kara n co l l ect ion was

launched a n d it featured her Seven Easy P ieces.

The o rigi na l Easy Pieces were the bodysu it, a

wra p sk i rt, a ch iffon b louse, a b lazer, a longer

jacket, l eggings, and a d ress; they a l l rema i n

re levant today. Th is system o f dress ing was a n

im portant too l for women i n the workforce who

had a des ire to rep lace the i r "power su its" with

more fash ionab le cho ices, and to stream l i n e the

dec is ion-making process so that they could put

together outfits for the office, trave l , or a soc ia l

occasion at a moment's notice. In 2009, Donna

Ka ra n rei ntrod uced her version of the Easy P ieces

with an u pdated l i st of m u st-haves: a tu rt leneck,

a sk i rt, the pant, a jacket, a coat, and jeans .


TECHNICAL DRAWINGS BY MARIE-EVE TREMBLAY

THOUGHT

8 Suits of Armor

The i nst inct to cover our bodies for protect ion

came before the des i re to decorate ou rse lves,

i n it i a l ly from the e lements and eventu a l ly from

each other. Com bat necessitated the sh ie ld ing of

vu l nerable parts of the body d u ring warfa re. The

major sect ions of a rmor broke down i nto he l met

(head), ga u ntlets (forearms), gorget ( neck),

b reastplate (torso), greaves ( l egs), and cha in

ma i l (for a reas that d id not a l l ow for r igid plates).

It is i nteresti ng to note that some of the ear ly

vers ions of b u l letproof fa br ic were made of many

l ayers of s i l k due to the strength of the fi bers.

Although Kev la r's ba l l ist ic fa br ic is currently the

standard, exper iments with sp ider s i l k a re f ind ing

that i t has not on ly comparab le strength, but a l so

e last ic ity.

Modern-day fash ion design can provide protec

t ion i n new, i n n ovative, and re leva nt ways. I n a

soc iety that va lues mob i l ity, the deve lopment

of l ightweight, wea rab le a rch itect u re speaks to

fash ion designers concerned with socia l issues

such a s surviva l and homelessness . Contempo

ra ry visua l a rt ist Lucy O rta created the H a b itent

as part of her exh ib i t ion ca l led " Refuge Wear a n d

Body Arch itectu re (1 992-1998)." These works

exa m i n e the common factors that both a rch itec

ture and fash ion design share . They a lso address

a s h ift i n g loba l consciousness rega rd ing what

we produce and why.


Right: A model wears a silver

ensemble from Jean-Charles

de Castelbajac's ready-to

wear show, 2010.

Below: Refuge Wear

Habitent: Aluminum-coated

polyamide, two telescopic

a luminum poles, whistle, and

compass; copyright 2011 by

Lucy + Jorge Orta

A model wears an armor

inspired, silver metal dress

by designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, 2010,

THOUGHT

9 Client Compatibility

Designers, l i ke a rt ists, a re often court i ng the i r

m uses for insp i rat ion. They m ust a l so cu l t ivate

a r ich and mea n i ngfu l re lat ionsh i p with the i r

patrons and those who w i l l partner i n pro mot

ing the i r work, such as styl ists and ce lebr it ies.

H i story provides exa m ples of many successfu l

pa i r i ngs of a rt i ste and m use. Yves St . Lau rent

had severa l prominent sou rces of creative i l l u m i

nat ion : former model and fash ion icon Betty

Catroux, des igner Loulou de la Fa la ise, a n d ac

tress Cather ine Deneuve, whom he a lso dressed

for fi lms from Belle de Jour to The Hunger. A

l ifet ime fr iendsh ip was the basis of the re lat ion

sh ip between designer H u bert de G ivenchy and

a ctress Audrey Hepburn . Ove r the years, many

l ovely women have i nf luenced the House of

Cha nel , but recently, head designer and creative

d i rector Karl Lagerfe ld ano inted actress Kei ra

Kn ightley a s the Chane l muse . And o n the other

s ide of the camera, f i lm d i rector Sofia Coppola

i s recognized as one of Marc Jacobs' strongest

in fl uences.

H aving a h ighly v is ib le i nd iv idua l i ncorporate

your designs into her wardrobe can have a

profound effect on a des igner. U .S . Fi rst Lady

M iche l le Obama is respons ib le for s h i n i ng a

l ight o n many ta lented des igners, such as I sabe l

To ledo and J ason Wu. To ledo has been design

ing s ince 1 985, but it was the inaugu rat ion s u it

that she designed for M rs . Obama that put her

name o n everyone's l i ps . Later that day, Jason

Wu, a re lat ive newcomer, having debuted h i s

fi rst co l l ect ion i n 2006, experienced the same

transformat ion when Miche l le Obama wore the

now-famous wh ite gown he des igned for her to

the m a ny inauguration ba l l s .

Whether it is the m use, the benefactor, o r the

ma i nstay of every business-the customer-the

best relat ionsh i ps a re sym b iotic ones where both

s ides learn and benefit from each other.


Director Sofia Coppola

with designer Marc Jacobs

backstage prior to the Marc

Jacobs Spring 2009 Fashion

Show

� I o -; o

PHOTO BY MARK WILSON/GETTY IMAGES u.s. First Lady Michel le

Obama stands with inaugural

dress designer Jason Wu in

front of the gown she wore

to the inaugural bal ls . The

gown is now on d isplay at

the Smithsonian Museum

of American History,

Washington, DC.

25

THOUGHT

10 Customization

Even though the des i re to fit i n i s strong, the idea

of i nd iv idua l ity a l lows a person to fee l spec ia l .

Faster, more fac i l e man ufactur ing now a l l ows

customers to benefit from lower pr ices, wh i l e

sti l l a l lowing them to enjoy own i ng somet h i ng

that i s t ru ly u n ique, becau se they contr ibuted to

the des ign process. Des igners of m a ny d i fferent

types of products are tak ing advantage of both

the tools a n d consu mers' i nterest in f ind ing th is

ba lance between the two.

Compartmenta l ized design a l lows the customer

to select how the e lements of a product a re

fa b ricated, c reat i ng one-of-a-k ind combi nat ions .

9ta i lors produces q u a l i ty sh i rts. M ix ing fab rics

and choosing specif ic design detai ls , such as

co l l a r, p lacket, pocket pocket pos it ion, cuff, and

cuff button , a l lows a customer to transform a

9ta i lors sh i rt i nto a n or igin a l . Converse produces

the iconic Chuck Tay lor A l l Sta r h i-top sneaker,

a sty le that is offered i n the trad it iona l ca nvas,

suede, or leather-but that is just the fou ndat ion .

C u stomers have m a ny cho ices when i t comes

to the design and customizat ion of the shoe, a s

we l l a s a wide assortment o f colors, resu lt ing i n

inf i n ite design variat ions .

Based in the Netherla nds, fash ion designer

Berber Soepboer and graph ic designer M ich ie l

Sch u u rm a n designed the Co lour- I n D ress, a

s imp le s leeve less dress with a n A- l i ne sk i rt . The

th i rd partner in the design process is the wea rer.

She can use the text i l e markers provided with

the d ress to m a ke i t her own. The graph ic pattern

on the text i l e lends itse lf to be ing interpreted

in m a ny d ifferent ways. The dress a lso has the

potent ia l to be a work in progress, shou ld the

wearer decide to add more color each t ime i t

IS worn.

The whole customizat ion process is part icu la rly

s uccessfu l when the ga rment itself is fa m i l i a r a n d

t h e modificat ions are easy t o i magine . Designers

m ight be wary of giving up complete contro l , but

in a l l of these exam ples, the product designers

have the u n ique opportun ity to see the i r design

through the eyes of the i r customers. The exercise

provides va l uab le i nsight i nto what the i r aud i

ence wa nts.


The N3 Zipper Dress by artist

designer Sebastian Errazuriz.

Made of 120 zippers, this

dress a l lows the wearer

to customize neckline,

openings, and length simply

by zipping or u nzipping

segments.

Above: Colour- I n Dress by

Berber Soepboer and Michiel

Schuurman, 2008

Right: Customized Converse

sneakers

27

THOUGHT

11 Restraint, Impulse, and Impact

Design is a s much a bout what you add to the m i x

as what you elect not t o add. T h e fabr ics, t h e cut,

and the fi n i sh m ust be beyond reproach, be

cause there a re no d i stract ions-what you see i s

what you get. Neutra l colors a n d the a bsence of

adornment a re often used to define a restra i ned

aesthetic. Fash ion with more of a pop usua l ly

re l ies on someth ing more . Th is type of des ign

has a pu l se, someth i ng that can be tapped i nto,

whether i t is the vibrant p lay of color, a st imu lat

ing pattern, or the hand of a texture.

I m pact can have many of the qua l i t ies of im

pu lse, but it i s not restra ined to passion o r theat

r ica l ity. Somet imes th is type of forcefu l fas h io n

c a n b e down right h ideous . The role of ugly fash

ion i s to cha l lenge. O bservers can 't he lp but be

engaged, whether they f i nd themse lves i n t rigued

or offended. The l ove-hate re lat ionsh ip teeters

on des ign sens ib i l it ies . W i l l pu rposefu l l y dowdy,

d iscorda nt, or gar ish creat ions be i nteresti ng?

O r does a ru nway odd ity d isturb and u nsett le

you? The point i s that regard less of whether you

l i ke someth ing you don't understand you can not

d ismiss it, because it has grabbed your attent ion .

I t can be appreciated merely for having been ab le

to shake t h ings u p and penetrate estab l ished

sta n d a rds of beauty far enough to cha l lenge you .


A model wearing a H ussein

Chalaya n creation, 201 0

THOUGHT

1 2 Mind Mapping

A tru ly creative m i n d is one that bu i lds a founda

t ion with the left b ra i n so that the r ight b ra i n can

make giant leaps of fa ncy. I t's easy to identify

and focus on what our b ra in has a natura l ten

dency to be good at , and to d isrega rd wea kness.

St rengthen ing those sho rtcomings i s a key to

success. Left ies a re ana lyt ica l , techn ica l , cr it ica l ,

and logical . They need to stretch to tap into the

part of the i r b ra i n that a l l ows them to be more

intu itive, i maginative, and i n novative. The same

level of effort shou ld be put into p lann ing, o rga

n iz ing, and bu i ld ing st ructure for a right-bra i n

i n d ividua l .

S imu ltaneous ly enterta i n ing oppos i ng needs and

des i res can be a tough t h i ng to contain i n you r

b ra i n . I n order t o overcome natu ra l tendencies

that lean to one s ide o r the other, a designer

needs to move the process outs ide of her head.

There a re severa l ways to map out a successfu l

c reat ive strategy that a l l ows the designer to

see, sort, and shuff le everyth ing i nvolved.


Left-brain fashion thinking

can be found in a designer's

abi l ity to a na lyze the

needs of the market;

make reasonably logical

decisions; craft language

that wi l l best represent their

vision; have an awareness

and basic comprehension

of innovations i n science

and technology; and be

wel l-versed in the va lue of

numbers in patternmaking

as well as in business.

Right-brain fashion

th inking can be found

in a designer's abi l ity to

consider the process of

design thoughtfully; trust

their intuition when making

decisions; always be open

to creative insights and

exercises; a ppreciate the art

of fashion; and find the music

that creates an appropriate

setting for their work.

Talk it out. Every designer can use a sound ing

board. H ea ring ideas out loud is a great rea l ity

c heck, made even better when others provide

you with feed back.

Write it out. Com mitt i ng it to paper a l l ows one

thought to lead to a nother on the page, without

the r isk of lett ing any idea s l i p through you r

fi ngers.

Lay it out. The wide open space of a tab le, a

b u l let in board, or a wa l l a l l ows the designer

to spread out a l l aspects of an idea. When a

designer can see the whole p icture she w i l l begi n

to recogn ize relat ionsh ips between the many d if

ferent e lements.

Mapp ing th ings out is a way to f i ne-tune the

process and e nhance the potent ia l for o rigi n a l

t h i n ki ng.

31

THOUGHT

13 Net and Narrow

The world of haute couture i s so e l ite and exc lu

s ive that many designers fee l they need to a l l ude

to i t i n the i r work, i f not asp i re to i t . A lthough i t

has a very narrow aud ience, couture has a com

pe l l i ng a l l u re beca use that a ud ience i s com posed

of some of the r ichest, most famous, and most

powerfu l fash ion c l ients in the world . This n iche

crowd certa i n ly has its perks, if on ly by associa

t ion . Serving th is a ri stocratic caste of couture

we l l w i l l often come with cr i t ica l acc la im, but

not a lways economic success. Fash ion designers

who su pport the i r v is ionary projects with more

ma inst ream c reat ions are the ones who have

stay ing power.

Ready-to-wea r reaches the people en m asse. The

on ly l i m itat ions when serving vast n umbers a re

man ufactur i ng out lets and deve loping products

that have m ass appea l . Casting such a wide net

not on ly generates greater sa les, but a lso bu i lds

name recogn it ion . J u st because i t i s off the rack

doesn't mean it cannot have great in fl uence . I n

1 994, rapper Snoop Dogg wore a Tommy H i lf iger

sh i rt on an episode of Saturday Night Live. The

b l ack, urban, rap subcu l ture responded a l m ost

im med iately. H i lf iger's work was adopted and

adapted by h ip-hop fo l l owers everywhere. H i l

f iger cu l t ivated re lat ionsh ips with other leaders

in th is com m u n ity and a reta i l star was born.

This was enough to p lace H i l figer o n the map,

but he rea l ized he needed to serve th i s aud i -

ence by sca l i ng the c lothes u p i n s ize, sty l ing h i s

work to reflect the cu l ture, and t u rn ing h i s logo

into a h igh ly vis ib le status symbol in the fash ion

com m u n ity. H is l a rge customer base cont in ues

to in form the d i rection of h is work. The rest is

fash ion bus iness h i story.


Musician/actor LL Cool J

and designer Tommy H i lfiger,

2007

o eo I �

THOUGHT

14 Disposable as Investment

Nontext i le projects a re commonly used to

stretch a fash ion designer's creative m uscles.

Many fash ion program s offer at least one course

that requ i res a student designer to b u i ld a body

cover ing without fabr ic and convent iona l sewing

methods. The explorat ion of th is type of wear

ab le a rt i nvo lves a great dea l of experimentat ion .

What a re the objects of cho ice? How w i l l they

be assemb led o r woven into a su rface? H ow w i l l

com ponents such as t h e bod ice, sk i rt, and s leeve

be put together? What k ind of method of c losure

w i l l be devised? The f ina l prod uct takes shape

as a form scu l pted to f i t the body and m i m i c

trad it iona l apparel .

Depend i ng on the nature of the raw mater ia l s i n

a ga rment of th i s category, i t m ight not have a

long l i fe span-a t i ssue-paper gown's days a re

n u m bered. So, why i nvest in such a d isposable

p iece of fash ion? The n ovelty and art ist ic va l u e

of garments m a d e o u t o f paper bags, plast ic

spoons, or duct tape a re i nherent, but there i s a

greater va l u e to be found . The resu lts of br ing

ing fash ion design sens ib i l i t ies to nontrad it iona l

projects inc lude u n expected problem-solv ing

methods and insp i red techn iq ues. Composit ions,

color schemes, textu res, and construction so lu

t ions that m ight not have otherwise been used to

create convent iona l c loth i ng become apparent .

A new set of ski l l s and a fresh perspect ive can

k ick-start a col lection .


Left: Nontextile dress

constructed out of pennies

by I nes Antigua

Right: Nontexti Ie d ress

constructed out of tea bags

by Kathryn Feeley

35

THOUGHT

1 5 Environmental Context

Geogra ph ica l regions develop a sty le of the i r

own . I n the U n ited States a lone, the North and

the South h ave d ist inct ly d ivergent tastes for

c loth ing. The West Coast and the East Coast

have very d ifferent takes o n the defi n it ion of

fash ion . The M i dwest has a nother standard of

sty le a l together. I n stead of making va l u e judg

ments a bout the worth iness of a certa i n sens ib i l

ity, a good designer w i l l delve into the roots these

assessments stem from. These foundations a re

usua l ly based on the many aspects of a n envi

ronment that would color our cho ices: h i stor i-

ca l events, cu ltura l i nf luences, geogra phy, and

c l imate. When th i s concept is extended g loba l ly

there are even s u bt le r d ifferences to be studied.

A good fash ion com pass w i l l he lp u n cover the

reason s for u ndersta nd ing why a wardrobe

of b lack has become synonymous with u rban

sett ings such as New York. I s the i nc l i nat ion to

adopt such a d a rk pa lette j ust a pract ica l cho ice?

I s the overa l l look harder and more int im idat ing,

someth ing that m ight give you an edge when

dea l i ng with the gritty rea l it ies of the c ity?

What is the explanat ion for a n i nc l i nat ion toward

b right colors and bold patterns i n the South?

Does the weather play a part in it? Do these

cho ices reflect the la ndscape? This exa m inat ion

assists designers in de l ive ring the i r p roduct to a

market that i s a l ready prone to receive it we l l .


Left: Vintage Yves Saint

Laurent dress in bright,

colorful floral print

Right: Sophisticated, dark

brown cascade col lar suit by

Sara Campbe l l

I NVENTO RY

1 6 Acquisitions

Setting u p a bus iness o r sta rt ing a project re

q u i res that designers sh ift into h u nter-gatherer

mode . What a re the means by which they wi l l

be ab le to deve lop work? H ow wi l l they a mass

resou rces?

Good fas h ion h unters w i l l fam i l ia rize themse lves

with a terra i n, track the i r ta rget, and acq u i re it.

Identify i ng the r ight mach inery and the proper

tools is essent ia l . Not a l l cutt ing i nst ruments

a re created eq u a l . For instance, the d ifference

between scissors and shears is length; the latter

m ust measure more than 6 i nches ( 1 5 cm). De

s ign room s w i l l reserve shears for cutt i ng fa br ics

versus scissors for cutti ng paper. P ink ing shears,

app l ique sc issors, and s n i ps each make specif ic

jobs a l i tt le easier.

Fash ion gatherers a re a l itt le more s u bjective.

They w i l l forage t h rough the many cho ices of

fa brics and notions to procure the idea l raw ma

ter ia ls , based on aesthetic needs and seasona l

demands .

Once a workroom is outfitted and its she lves

a re stocked with supp l ies, a workforce m ust

be assembled . I n do ing so, the designer m ust

determine how each membe r of the staff f its into

the com m u n ity being crafted . N ext, the designer

m ust b u i l d a cu l ture, an env i ro n ment, systems,

and tech nology.

I n some cases, it is a smart idea to accu m u late

reserves. A surp lus can mean the d ifference be

tween endur ing and t h rowing in the towel when

faced with s i tuat ions that cha l l enge su rviva l .

H owever, stockp i l ing i sn 't he lpfu l u n less the

goods a re releva nt and a re actua l ly put to use.

The va l u e of a des igner's i nventory-compr is ing

mach inery, raw materia ls , manpower, or f in ished

product-depends on how cohes ive it a l l is .


Right: Design studio:

button bins

Far Right: Design studio:

fabric and pattern storage

PHOTO: JOEL BENJAMIN

I NVENTO RY

1 7 Collaboration

Some very successfu l fash ion design tea m s

prove that two heads a re often better t h a n one.

A creative co l laboration can resu l t i n designs

that a re more complex and i n n ovat ive than those

that origi nate from a s i ngu lar v is ion . Partnersh ips

with buyers, ed itors, c l i ents, and other designers

a l l have the potent ia l to foster successfu l ideas

and enhance the creative process.

Some exa mples of successfu l fash ion des ign

teams inc lude :

• Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren of V iktor & Rolf met wh i le studying fash ion at the Arnhem

Academy of Art and Design in The Nether

lands . The ir team approach to fash ion cont in

ues to surpr ise and charm the fash ion e l ite.

• Parsons School of Design in New York City

was where Lazaro Hernandez and Jack

McCollough both stud ied before go ing on to

form the labe l Proenza Schou ler-a name that

keeps it a l l i n the fam i ly, or ig inat ing from the

ma iden na mes of both designers' mothers .

• Domenico Dolce m et Stefano Gabbana

whi le working for the same design f irm in

M i l a n, Ita ly, and a re now the force beh ind

I ta l i a n l u x u ry house Dolce and Gabbana, a

m u lt im i l l ion-do l lar fas h ion emp i re .

• S ib l i ng camarader ie, not riva l ry, i s at the

heart of the s ister team of Kate and Laura

Mulleavy for Roda rte, a company a lso named

after the i r mother's ma iden name. They have

co l laborated with the Gap as wel l as Target,

proving they understa nd how to interface wel l

with others .

• Power couple Isabel and Ruben Toledo

represent the h usband and wife duo that

im pact cu l ture o n m u lt ip le fronts. She is a

fash ion designer and he i s a n a rt i st .


Above: Ruben and Isabel

Toledo

Right: Dutch designers Rolf

Snoeren (left) and Viktor

Horsting (right), of Viktor

& Rolf, shake hands at the

end of their Autumn/Winter

2010/11 ready-to-wear

collection show in Paris.

�

::! '" ;;

-rt � < �--=� I ��i � u '" >-;}: o >o I �

I NVENTO RY

1 8 Articulation of Style

Use your words. A designer benefits great ly from

a mastery of la nguage-n ot m erely having an

extens ive vocabu la ry, but a lso possess ing the

ab i l ity to craft words i nto ideas, messages, and

stories. Whether complex o r u ncompl icated, the

intent beh ind the words that a re used to descr ibe

and def ine th ings helps to i nspire and deve lop

design concepts. Th rough la nguage, a designer

can d iscover a d i rection for a project.

Us ing color as a n exam ple, the adjectives used

to na rrow the defin it ion of a color can affect the

context i n wh ich the f ina l product is perce ived .

J ust red? It shou ld never be just red. Perhaps i t

i s ru by, a red as r ich and l uxur ious as the gem

stone . O r cherry red, a co lor you can a lmost

taste. When you t h i n k of Ferrari the associat ions

a re sport, speed, and Ita ly, wh ich makes Ferrar i 's

co-bra nd ing of sneakers and ath let ic spo rtswear

a natu ra I f it .

A lthough designers m ay work from a broad

pa lette, they can also become closely associated

with a part icu la r color. Elsa Sch iapare l l i is forever

l i n ked with shock ing p ink, just as Va lent ino w i l l

a lways b e remembered for h i s s ignat u re red.

I t may just seem l i ke sema ntics, but the same

is t rue of a l l the v i ta l com ponents i nvolved in

deve lop ing a garment o r a centra l theme for a

col lection . A smooth texture can be described

as having a glossy, po l ished, or sat in f in ish ,

whereas a gra iny texture can be described as

rough, porous, or earthy. C lever word play is at

the heart of how fash ion is d i scussed in the me

d ia , so why not sta rt that d ia logue in -house on

the designer's terms.


Models in red, Valentino's

signature color, walk on the

catwalk for a grand fina le,

2008.

I NVENTO RY

1 9 Building and Breaking Templates

Esta b l i s h i ng standards provides a fash ion de

s ign e r with reference points . F i nd ing the midd le

is i m porta nt . The "average" shou ld not be con

s idered a death sentence to creativity, when i t is

posit ioned as the sta rt ing point . Once specif ica

t ions a re in p lace, understood, a nd respected, a

designer can bend, if not break, a l l the ru les .

The bas ic s loper i s emp loyed as a fou ndat ion

for f lat pattern making beca use i t conta i n s a l l

the v ita l measu rements t o b u i ld a pattern that

w i l l correspond to the body i t is being des igned

for. With those measurements i n place, a l m ost

any modif icat ion is poss ib le, wh i le sti l l keepi ng

the funct ion and fit of the garment gro unded

in rea l i ty. A fitt ing m u s l i n i s a ga rment that can

be used i n m uch the same way. Th is ga rment is

constructed so that a des igner can man ipu late

the des ign and custom ize the f it .

Good c roqu is figu res a re based on the propor

t ions of the h u m a n body. When the re lat ionsh ips

between parts of the body a re mai nta i ned, the

figu re can be exaggerated to extremes without

r isk ing a bstract ion . The transformat ion may

reflect the designer's sty le tendencies, but the

f in ished product wi l l rem a i n recognizable .

f

�) , , t � , t:-I

-, \ � ?-�/ \'(/ \\ \ \ \

\ cUA 1_\

'-


�) , , \ � ,

Vel ,

f \ o �/ \/1 \\ \

\ \ dJA 1_\ '-'

Left: Average length and

e longated croqu is

Right: Various croquis

exaggerations designed to

accentuate overa l l s i l houette

I NVENTO RY

2 0 Pattern Instruments

A sharp penc i l , some paper, and a ru ler-it

seems s imp le enough, but patternmaki ng de

mands that des igners f i lter the i r vis ion of a ga r

ment t h rough a str ict m athemat ica l gr id. There is

no gett ing away from the fact that we l l-executed

patterns rely heavi ly on geometry a n d a re the re

su l t of t h i n king l i ke a n engineer. Designers shou ld

be very fam i l i a r with the purpose of each tool of

the t rade and f luent in the language of whatever

un its of measurement they a re working i n , down

to the sma l lest fract ion .

Precise measurements and c lear notations a re

key when ma king p ieces fit together. N otches,

for i nstance, provide the stitcher with specif ic

places where p ieces a re to be jo ined . They serve

as a nchor points, wh ich he lp to ensure proper as

sembly. Seam a l l owance can be looked at a s the

b reakdown lane of st itch ing l i nes, because they

give us room to hand le the fabr ic wh i l e we are

sewing and provide room for a lterat ions after the

fact-too much a nd you h ave unwanted b u l k; too

l itt le and seam s begin to fa l l a pa rt . Beyond tak ing

each f lat p iece and attach ing it to a nother, these

two-d imens iona l p ieces may a lso be man ipu lat

ed i nto more nuanced three-d imensiona l shapes.

Ta i lor ing a garment to the human form m ight

req u i re darts that e l i m inate unwanted fu l l ness,

or gathers that add it where des i red.

A commercia l pattern comes with a set of

i nstruct ions that take the consumer through the

most eff ic ient way of putting a ga rment together.

Part of the design process for the des igner

should i nclude creat ing a s i m i l a r a lgor i thm for a

pattern addressi ng wh ich methods of construc

t ion w i l l be used, and what the specif ic sequence

of steps w i l l be.


Above: Tracing wheel,

notcher, and awl

Right: Pattern rack

I NVENTO RY

2 1 Stitching Tools

Sewing i s a sensory exper ience. Fo l lowing

instruct ions that a re provided i n a book, a video,

or a l ive demonstrat ion is a start, but there

is n o substitute for exper ience, a nd l ots of it,

when it comes to stitc h i ng a garment together.

Eas i ng the cap of a s leeve i nto a n armho le i s

defi n ite ly eas ier sa id than done . On ly repet it ion

w i l l provide the exper ience needed to hand le

the fa br ic expert ly, select the proper t h read, a nd

understand how to control and max im ize the

tools you a re work ing wit h . N ot h i ng i s perfect,

but practice certa i n ly gets you c lose.

There a re many choices when it comes to what

type of st itch to use for a ny given job, and each

can be executed by hand or on a mach ine :

• Loose s i ngle-thread st itches for bast ing

• B lanket o r overlock st itches to fi n i sh an edge

• Pad st itch ing to sec u re layers of fabric together

• Back stitches o r tack ing to reinforce a reas

• Z igzag o r top stitch ing to decorate the su rface

• C h a i n, c ross, or sat in st itches for embroidery

• Buttonho le stitches to f in ish and re inforce the

ope n i ng for a button c losure

• B l ind stitches for hemming

I n every case, a l ight, see m i ngly effort less touch

is the mark of the profess ion a l .


Above Left: Hand sewing

Above Right: Machine

sewing

Right: Basting samples

Far Right: Hand basting

I NVENTO RY

2 2 Rendering Media

Fash ion render ings a re usua l ly created i n penci l ,

marker, or pai nt . Today, the p ixe l is another

med i u m for d rawing fash ion with the a id of

com puter software. Whether it's a fash ion n ote

on a napk in , style schematics in a notebook, or

fash ion shorthand i n cha l k on a c h a l kboard, the

goa l i s the exchange of ideas .

There i s a myst ique a round the a rt of fash ion ,

as though on ly a se lect few a re ent it led to even

attempt to create it. Although not everyone who

s its down to d raw w i l l prod uce a rt to r iva l the

work of Steven St ipe lman or Antonio Lopez, it's

im porta nt to remembe r that these masters a re

i l l ustrators and not designers. Hon ing the sk i l l s

req u i red to com mit concepts to paper is pri m a r

i ly a bout hand to eye coord inat ion, wh ich on ly

comes with t ime and pract ice.

A carefu l ly conceived drawing, in wh ich style

l i nes, design deta i ls , a nd proportions have been

thoughtfu l l y p lanned out, wi l l he lp make the next

step-drap ing a nd/or patternma king- move

that much faster.

SO Fashion Design Essentials

Right: French designer Yves

Saint Laurent using cha lk to

sketch fashion designs on

a cha lkboard in the atelier

of the House of Christian

Dior, where he has just been na med as successor

to couturier Christian Dior,

Paris, November 1957.

o 6 I �

I NVENTO RY

2 3 Taming Textiles

Text i les a re a very tang ib le source of i nsp i rat ion .

Much l i ke the marble that informs the scu lp

tor what it wants to become, fab ri c wi l l suggest

what shapes and types of man ipu lat ion w i l l

transform it i nto a work of a rt .

The same pattern for a garment w i l l assume

u n ique ly d ifferent characterist ics, depend ing on

whether i t i s made of s i l k ch iffon , r ibbed knit ,

r ipstop nylon, Lycra, taffeta, or wool felt . The de

s ign e r can design with fabrics based on h ow they

coord i n ate and contrast with each other. Weight,

body, and weave wi l l p rovide further d i rect ion.

Co lor, pattern, and text u re a lso de l iver a whole

set of add it iona l cho ices.

A designer can take ideas for a col l ect ion i nto

new terr itory by switch i ng fabr ics . Su bst itut ing

fa brics l i ke den im for taffeta, ch iffon for oxford

c loth , leather for l i nen, and lace for tweed i s one

way to tr igger u n pred ictab le i nnovations . B lock

ing with co lor, pattern, and text u re is another

way to shake th i ngs up. Combine these methods

with tec h n iques usua l ly reserved for d ifferent

fa brics, a n d the design cho ices m u l t ip ly. App ly

a top-stitched flat-fe l led seam, commonly found

on den im, to s i l k organdy and it bri ngs together

two seem i ngly u n re lated a reas of fas h ion , c reat

ing something fresh and u n expected.


Right: Medium body: Sara

Campbel l floral jacquard skirt

Below: Fu l l body: Viktor &

Ro lf silver d ipped satin skirt

� I o -; () o m � � m Z ); ;: z

Light body: soft satin

charmeuse blouse

I NVENTO RY

2 4 Letters: Siopers

A s loper is a tem plate for any pattern piece that

does not inc lude seam a l lowance. Start ing from

scratch is not a lways necessa ry. It is used to

deve lop va r iat ions on patterns and is a great too l

for bra instorming and test i ng out design ideas

without having to go back to square one. S ince

a good sloper a l ready inc l udes a l l the measure

ments that wi l l ensu re a proper f it, the designer

has the freedom to concentrate on aesthetics.

The designer can man ipu late the posit ion of a

dart, add fu l lness, lengthen or shorten, as wel l

as cut away or bu i l d areas onto the origi na l .

Each s loper piece is l i ke a letter in the D N A of a

garment . Each of these base patterns is designed

to conform to a d ifferent part of the body as wel l

as i nterfac ing with other pieces. Every template

has e lements that a re u n iq u e to that piece. I n a

s leeve, the seam that c loses it does not relate to

a ny part of a nother pattern piece. But the cap of

the s leeve m ust fit i nto an armho le that is c re

ated when the front bodice is con nected to the

back bod ice at the shou lder and side seams. The

most essentia l aspect of des ign ing something

that goes from two d i m ens ions to th ree is fit

how the pieces fit together and how they fit

the purpose.

Getting wrapped up in the m i n ut ia of th is b lue

pr int for a garment may seem l i ke the exc lus ive

domain of pattern make rs, but designers can use

their own sensi b i l it ies to solve design cha l l enges

with th is as we l l .


Slopers

55

I NVENTO RY

2 5 Words: Garments

Every garment makes a va luab le contr ibut ion to

an overa l l look. It might be cast i n the sta rr ing

role or as a su pport ing piece. I nd iv idua l item s of

c loth ing can be t reated l i ke the words that w i l l

be express ing the designer's v is ion . B ig word s

as wel l as l itt le o n e s shou ld b e carefu l ly chosen,

beca use even the s l ightest var iat ion i n defi n it ions

can make a b ig d ifference.

The o rigi na l st i m u l us for a designer's i nspirat ion

can be d ist i l l ed i nto s u bt le b ut powerfu l deta i l s

i n even the s im plest of garments. I n addit ion to

be ing appreciated by the true connoisseu r, these

touches add a com plexity that makes these

garments d ist inct . A lthough some item s are

intended to e m phas ize a more dominant p iece,

they shou ld never be t reated l i ke an afterthought.

If they a re designed as independent entit ies, they

w i l l stand a lone in terms of design and qua l ity.


A simple white blouse

by Viktor & Rolf, made

distinctive with button

detail, 2006

• • •

o

•

I NVENTO RY

2 6 Sentences: Ensembles

Assemb l i ng a n ensemble i s l i ke str inging words

together to form a sentence. In the best of s itu

at ions, the resu ltant fash ion phrase i s a we l l-ca l

ibrated combinat ion of references that insp i red

the des ign process i n the fi rst place.

M ix ing d ra st ica l ly d ifferent co lors can punch up

a look. B lend ing more harmon ious shades wi l l

result i n a gent ler touch . At e i ther end of the

spectrum or a nywhere i n between, color shou ld

a lways a l l ude to the i m pact the designer wishes

to have on h is a udience .

The interplay of textu res and patterns can a lso

be used to sti m u late or re lax the person wea r ing

those specif ic garments . F i nd ing the right ba l

a n ce betwee n d i fferent s ha pes is a n i m portant

factor, whether the designer wants the com plete

look to have a reserved s i l houette or one with

d ra matic f l a i r. O rnament can be sca led to d iffer

ent proport ions so that i t has the des i red effect.

The lack of it can be j u st as bold i n its a uster ity.

Designers need to cons ider that these sets of

garments w i l l not exist i n a vacuum, and they

need to make the i r m a rk o n the observer-the

c l ient's c i rc le, the media , and the genera l publ ic .

Every designer has the abi l ity to make c lear

statements of sty le with every compos i t ion .


PHOTO: JESSICA WEISER

Samira Vargas ensem bles

featuring a mix of texture and

pattern, 2010

59

I NVENTO RY

2 7 Stories: Collections

A variety of looks can be brought together to

i l l ustrate a bigger idea . The mix itse l f is an exten

sion of the concept that insp i red each e lement

of the col lect ion to begin with . Many cho ices a re

involved i n des ign ing a s i ngle garment, c reat ing

correspon d i ng pieces to put together a n outfit,

and then do ing that n u merous t imes unt i l you

have a l l the ingred ients necessa ry to tel l you r

fash ion story: a co l l ection .

The designer m ust t h i n k l i ke a sty l i st and con

sider how these pieces wi l l go together to craft a

bigger, more complex pict u re. Ask the q u est ions

that would help you craft a good story. H ave you

a made conscious choice to juxta pose contra st

ing e lements to create confl ict and d ra ma? I s

humor woven into the col l ect ion that con nects

with you r a u d ience through witty cho ices? I s

there a sense o f harmony i n how you r cho ices

come together? Does each ensemble fee l l i ke

it represents a character in your story? Do you

have a strong start and an excit ing f in ish?

The specif ic decis ions a designer makes-putt i ng

emphas is on what she sees as i m porta nt-wi l l

u lt i mately set h e r apart from other designers

and the i r co l lect ions . This process is just a s

im porta nt as t h e garments themse lves, because

it p laces the designer's v is ion in a context of her

own creat ion .


Christian Lacroix Col lection,

2006

I NVENTO RY

2 8 Punctuation: Details

Once the structure of a garment has been clear ly

defi ned and the mater ia l s being used to fab ricate

it have been chosen, it is t ime to contem plate

the deta i l s . These points w i l l f ine-tune the des ign

and ensure that a designer's aesthet ic sens i

b i l i t ies are cons istent throughout . Wel l -p laced

embel l i sh ments wi l l pu nctuate the design, but

not d i stract from i t .

Decorative b utton s or snaps he lp to mix form

and funct ion . One big, bold button on an other

wise understated coat serves as an exc lamat ion

point . M ost fa ns of the c lass ic Western-style

sh i rt wou ld agree that pearl snaps are an es

sent ia l fi n i s h i ng touch. B ig brassy zi ppers stress

ut i l ity, and when used de l i berately they can make

a statement . Exposing that k ind of heavy h a rd

wa re and having i t s lash through a del icate dress

defi n ite ly m a kes a dec larat ion .

Str ict ly orna menta l deta i l s such a s embroidery

or bea d i ng are straightforwa rd e nough, except

when they a re strategica l ly placed in u n expected

locat ions. A sma l l godet inserted at the end of a

seam can provide ease but a lso i nterest. Top

stitch i ng with t h read in an accent color is one

way to under l ine the style l i nes of a ga rment .

The edge of a garment may be d otted a n d

dashed with a decorative b l a n ket stitch .

For m a ny fash ion designers, "the dev i l i s i n the

deta i l s " beca use that i s where they m ight f ind

the process the m ost d iffi cu lt or cha l l engi ng.

I t i s a l so a way that designers can subt ly sign

the i r masterpieces.


Above: Beaded Mary

McFadden gown

Right: Decorative zipper

deta i l by Aey Hotarwaisaya

Beaded, bowed, and gi lded

dress by Christian Lacroix,

2006

/ f ---' /

I NVENTO RY

2 9 Closures

Closure methods a re pr im a ri ly pract ica l cons id

erat ions, but they can a lso be used as prom inent

design deta i l s that com plete a look . A l m ost any

fastener can be stea l th i ly h idden with in a p lacket

or a seam, or camouflaged when covered i n fa b

ric, to ach ieve a c lean a ppeara nce. There a re a lso

specia l cons iderat ions for each type of c losu re

that w i l l affect the fit and f in ish of a garment.

F lat buttons a re common in most i nstances, but

shanked buttons a re often used when the th ick

ness of the fa br ic requ i res greater space to a l low

for that b u l k to be buttoned. A standard z ipper

can be centered, l apped, or i nserted without any

extens ions of fa br ic to intentiona l ly rema in vis

ib le . The i nv is ib le z i pper is designed to pu l l the

fa br ic o n both s ides together to m i m ic a sea m .

H ooks and eyes as we l l a s snaps a re ava i lab le

in d ifferent s izes, colors, and types. I n some

instances, they a re covered to b lend i nto the gar

ment . Both a lso a re ava i l ab le on a tape that can

be sewn in . Velcro is commonly not v is ib le and

can be a pp l ied i n segments o r cont inuous str ips .

E lements such as t ies, be lts, frogs, and toggles

a re usua l ly chosen for the i r decorative contr i bu

t ion as wel l a s the i r u sefu l ness.


Top: Pink bias ribbon lacing

Above: Blue fabric-covered

buttons

• • •

I NVENTO RY

3 0 Specialty Requisites

Spec ia l m ateria ls are often requ i red to ach ieve

des i red effects, provide specif ic funct iona l ity,

and ensure qua l ity workmansh ip . So lv ing u n ique

design cha l lenges req u i res d ifferent m ateria ls .

I f the r ight i ngred ients don't exist, a n i nnovative

designer wi l l be insp i red to invent them.

A fu l l -f lowing sk i rt wi l l benefit from a band of

horseha i r bra id sewn into the hem. O rigi na l l y

made of actual horseha i r, th i s mesh i s now made

of ny lon. One of i ts uses i nc ludes provid ing a

f lexib le stiffness that reinfo rces the edge of the

hem. The sk i rt m ight be made without it, but in

c l ud ing i t resu lts in a rou nded, b i l lowi ng heml ine

that seems to ro l l a s i t moves.

I n weatherproof outerwea r, a lack of b reathab i l ity

m ight req u i re the i nsert ion of a nylon mesh into

strategica l l y p laced vents . Doub le z ippers a l l ow

the garment to be part ia l ly opened at e ither end

without com pletely exposing the wea rer to the

e lements.

Thread i s at the heart of putt ing together most

garments. Each project wi l l req u i re a d i fferent

type of thread. The s ize and weight of a t h read

is i nd icated by a set of n u m bers, such as 50/3 .

The fi rst n u m be r refers to the d iameter of each

strand (the h igher the n u mber the f iner the

t h read) and the second to the n u m ber of strands

that have been twisted together to create that

thread . F iner t h reads a re i n keep ing with hand

work and de l icate fab rics. Strong threads wi l l

ho ld u p to heavier fa br ics and can be used i n

s ituat ions w h e n there w i l l b e add it iona l stress, a s

in gather ing stitches and b uttonho les . Synthet ic

threads provide a l itt le more give when sew-

ing kn its. Embroidery t h read is more commonly

refer red to a s f loss and is usua l ly com posed of

s ix loosely twisted strands .

I n addit ion to d ifferent lengths and d ia meters, the

shape of the point of a needle is very i m portant.

For i nstance, needles used for kn its need to be

s l ight ly rounded at the point so they don't snag.


Clockwise: Decorative yarns;

heavy-duty zipper ; thread;

horsehair •

I NVENTO RY

3 1 Miscellaneous Markers

I n fas h ion , everyth ing revo lves around the new

and the u nexplored. L i ke anyth i ng e lse, even

the fash ion industry can fa l l i nto a rut, and on ly

ra ndom wi ld cards a re ab le to shake t h i ngs up

and sh ift the fash ion landscape just enough to

infl uence change. I n truth, they deserve the i r own

custom, sometimes com plex, labe l , but beca use

it is d ifficu l t to f it them i nto a category, these

fas h ion fla res are usua l ly f i led under "M isce l l a

neous." Their ra ndomness shou ld not be l i e the i r

im porta nce i n terms of i nsp i rat ion and d i rect ion.

Now that v i rtua l ly everyone has a b log of h i s

own, the b logosphere's i m pact seem s d i l uted a nd

commonplace. H owever, the b logging landscape

is st i l l a p lace where d iamonds i n the rough can

be found . These u n d iscovered gem s reflect facets

of fash ion that may not have been on a nyone's

radar unt i l one of these writers chooses to focu s

on i t and spread the word . Some a re descr ibed

as being on the front l i nes of fash ion , so tappi ng

into the right combi nat ion of o n l i ne voices w i l l

p rovide ins ight, resou rces, and i nsp irat ion for the

fas h ion designer.

B logs a re just one exam ple. Movements toward

susta i nab i l i ty and fa i r t rade have been bu i ld -

ing momentum i n the fash ion ind ustry, but

they rare ly ga i n tract ion in the h igh-end fash ion

world. H owever, i n the J u ne 2009 issue of Vogue,

Cameron Diaz was featured wearing a pa i r of

eco-friend ly/h igh-end fash ion shorts by Goods

of Conscience, a fas h ion label c reated by Father

Andrew O'Connor, a Catho l ic priest based i n

the B ronx, New York. The unexpected source

certa in ly generates interest, but the bus i ness

model and the message lay the groundwork for

the evo lut ion of an industry.

Designers need to be looking for signs of the

futu re on a l l fronts-who is s h i n i ng a l ight o n a

d ifferent perspective and h ow that w i l l fue l the i r

creative process.


Father Andrew O'Connor,

(right), created Goods

of Conscience in answer

to the needs of several

communities. The company

employs both Mayan I ndian

weavers and underemployed

Bronx sewers, supporting

loca l production in both

locales. The l ine uses a soft,

lightweight material made

of organic cotton, cal led

Socia l Fabric, which is made in the G uatemalan tradition

of back-strap weaving. The

manufactu ring of the fabric

and garments takes into

account important issues of

susta inabi l ity and fair trade

that face the fashion industry

as wel l as the consumer.

� I 0 -; � n 0 c � -; � � -<

� co 0 0 0 �

- - � n 0 z � n

S2 r;;

Tavi Gevinson is an

American fashion blogging

phenomenon. She started

"Style Rookie" in 2008 at

the age of eleven and her

fol lowers include M iuccia

Prada, John Gal l iano, Rei

Kawakubo, and the Mu l leavy

sisters. These design stars

say she "gets it," and they

are taking notice.

I NVENTO RY

3 2 Care and Feeding of a Garment

I t's i mperat ive to cons ider the l i fe of a garment

when design ing i t , such as h ow the ga rment w i l l

ho ld up over t ime, t h rough wear, c lean ing, and

steam i ng. Th is can make the d ifference between

having an object that is a keepsake and one that

is re legated to the dustb i n . In some cases, it is

the patina that deve lops d u ring the aging process

that adds to its des i rab i l ity. I n others, the va l u e

comes from t h e item's ab i l ity to reta i n a good-as

new a ppeara nce over t ime .

Wi l l the garment's fabr ic and construct ion stand

up to mach ine wash i ng, o r w i l l it req u i re hand

wash ing or d ry c lean i ng? Wi l l a l i nt brush o r an

adhesive ro l l e r be ab le to c lear the s u rface of l i n t,

ha i r, and fuzz?

Does the fabr ic req u i re press ing or steam ing?

I n the case of velvet or corduroy fa brics, w i l l a

needle press board or pad he lp m a i nta in the p i le?

When i ro n ing the ga rment, h ow wi l l a ta i lor's

ham, a press mitt, a seam ro l l , a point press, o r a

s leeve board work for the user? W i l l a press c loth

or pad help to prevent the fabr ic from s h i n ing

or s i nge ing?

After a length of t ime, fo lds can become perma

nent and wea ken the fabric, so proper storage is

essent i a l . Which type of hanger best s u its that

part icu lar garment? Wi l l pack ing with t issue and

cardboard forms he lp keep the body of the gar

ment in shape and wr ink le-free? Wou ld i t be best

to store the ga rment on the ha nger in a p last ic

bag or a c loth bag, o r i n a box with ac id-free pa

per? Wi l l bast ing pockets and vents closed he lp

prevent saggi ng o r twisti ng?

Designers may not a lways have the t ime to test

the e n d u ra nce of a garment, but they can be

come fam i l i a r with how fabr ics and construct ion

techn iq ues w i l l stand up to t ime and use, he lp ing

them to make the best cho ices.


Faux furs can be brushed gently to

prevent matting, a lso removing dust and

debris. May be machine washed and

hung to d ry. No d ryer or d irect heat.

Sturdy cotton (canvas, denim twi l l ) can

be laundered-hot water for whites;

warm or co ld for colors. Shrinkage can

be addressed with prewashing.

Heavy wool tweeds and suiting may be

dry cleaned or spot cleaned with a damp

sponge. A steamer is the recommended

way to take out wrinkles.

Nylon, polyester, and other synthetics

used for outerwear may be machine

washed or dry cleaned. They can also be

placed in a dryer at a low temperature.

Dry c leaning is preferred for most

de l icate si l ks. They may also be gently

hand washed with mi ld soap. Lay flat to

dry on a noncolored towel.

Hairy fabrics (a ngora, mohair, a lpaca, or

vicuna) should be dry cleaned or gently

washed. Do not wring or agitate; dry flat.

Steam; do not iron flat.

Raw si lks and l inens can be dry cleaned or gently hand washed. They may be

pressed at a low heat from the reverse

side of the fabric or steamed.

Fabrics with meta l l ic or plastic threads

should be dry cleaned. A press cloth

should be used when ironing on low

temperature from the reverse side.

P i le fabrics (velvet, terry cloth, or

cordu roy) can be cleaned according

to fiber content. Steam only from the

reverse side or on a needle press board .

Right: For the designer

working with exotic trims

such as fur or feathers, it is

a good idea to design the

garment so that these sections

are removable for c leaning

pu rposes. Gown by designer

Nara Paz

I NVENTO RY

3 3 Ancient Tools and Techniques

For the fi rst t ime o n record, the woman who has

been charged with creat ing b ra id work used to

decorate Chane l su its s ince 1 947 was i nt roduced

to the pub l i c in the documentary Signe Chane/.

Madame Pouz ieux creates the famous fash ion

b ra ids on a o ne-of-a-k ind a nc ient loom. Work ing

the loom is second nature to her, but many ap

prent ices have been confou nded by i ts intr ica

c ies. The H ouse of Chane l i s a loyal patron of

her work, beca use th i s type of b ra id t r im can be

found nowhere e lse .

Th is story i l l u st rates one exa m ple of h ow va l u

ab le and u n ique o ld-world techn iques c a n be, not

to ment ion ant ique tools and mach inery. New

sewing m ach ines with bu i lt- in computers can

be p rogram med to do many wonderfu l th ings,

but for power and stab i l ity, not h i ng compares

to o lder i ndustr ia l mach ines . W h i le the ma

ch ines can st i l l be found, the knowledge and sk i l l

req u i red to ma inta i n them is becoming h a rd to

f ind . Many ta lents a re a lso fad ing i nto obscu-

r ity, beca use these v intage crafts a re not being

passed on. A l though automat ion affords the

des igner the a b i l i ty to prod uce faster, the process

of resea rch i ng, learn i ng, and imp le ment ing

o ld-fash ioned methods may prove to be a useful

c reative exerc ise .


Left Above: Vintage sewing

machine

Left Below: Loom

Right: Assorted braids by 18

73

I NVENTO RY

3 4 Accessory Closet

Which comes first the su i t o r the st i l ettos?

What about the cur rent " it" bag or a smart pa i r

of g lasses? A great accessory can be the cen

terpiece of a great o utfit . I f the shopper can take

that approach, why can 't the designer? G reat

accessor ies that stradd le the l i ne between func

t ion and a rt a re worthy of a designer's attent ion.

Studying the m icrocosms of sty le may generate

ideas that a designer can expand upon, and pos

s ib ly bu i ld a col lection a round .

H ats a re not a m ust for today's fash ionab le

wom a n the way they were i n the 1950s and

1 960s, but t hey have not gone away. M i l l i ners

a re regu lar ly req u i red to r ise to the cha l lenge of

empower ing the i r customers with the confidence

to don these a rtfu l express ions of fash ion . Ap

parel des igners can take a cue from the c raft a n d

a rt i stry beh ind the i r work.

Shoes have become one of the most i m portant

fash ion accessories, beca use un less the option

of going ba refoot i s on the table, a pa i r of shoes

is tec h n ica l ly a necessity. Accord ing to Answers.

com, on average, women between the ages of

twenty-five and fifty own from forty to s ixty pa i rs

of shoes. As a fash ion category, shoes ru le !


Clockwise: Fashionable

eyewear; Shaunt Sarian

bag; Zack Lo shoes

PHOTO: SIMPLYNATE PHOTOGRAPHY

Ma rie Ga lvin hat

I NVENTO RY

3 5 Vintage Patina

You nger s ib l i ngs everywhere comp la i n about

h a nd-me-downs, but in fash ion , a secondhand

garment has the potentia l to be a t ru ly coveted

item. I ts degree of va l u e stems from many th i ngs:

o I s the garment sti l l re levant? A great

m otorcyc le jacket sends just as powerfu l a

message a s it ever d id .

o Does a designer l abe l count? Identif ia b le

ma rke rs speak to the power of b rand ing

fash ion .

o I s i t a sym bol ic part of h i story? The u ltra

fem i n i n e s i l houettes of the early 1960s have

great ly inf luenced contem pora ry fas h ion

thanks to the popu larity of the televis ion ser ies

Mad Men.

o How rare i s the item? O ne-of-a-k ind p ieces a re

sought after regard less of the category.

o Who wore it? The provocative dress that

Mar i lyn Monroe wore to sing " H appy B i rthday"

to Pres ident John F. Ken nedy i n 1 962 was

n oteworthy in its day, but has cont in ued to

increase exponent ia l ly in both popu lar ity and

va l u e s i nce then.

o Does it possess g lamour by association?

Designers and journa l i sts a re often gu i lty

of foster i ng relat ionsh ips between c loth ing

and celebri t ies, even i f there i s no cred ib le

affi l iat ion between the two . Descr ib ing a l i tt le

b lack dress a s "very Audrey H epburn" may be

a sort of tr i bute to her, G ivenchy, and Breakfast

at Tiffany's, but there isn 't a rea l connect ion .

I n what way can today's designers brush the

pat ina of a v intage garment over the i r work?

I t need not be as l itera l as tarn ished buttons

and buck les o r d i stressed and faded fa br ics .

The subt le use of co lor schemes that ref lect

the aesthetics of a nother t ime i s a n opt ion .

The appl icat ion of o ld-world pattern mak ing,

construct ion , o r f in ish ing techn iq ues is another.

The use of s i l houettes that reference specif ic

per iods in fas h ion h i story can a lso provide the

designer with a sense of a nother era. Vintage

sources a re now varied and p lent i fu l . Local

bout iques, regiona l markets, and o n l i ne reta i l e rs

a re useful barometers that a l low a designer to

spot t i mely v intage trends .


Evening gown featuring

a distinctive geometric

si lhouette of the 1980s

Right: "IT'S M I NE!" A Daily

News front-page head l ine

from October 28, 1999.

Col lector Bob Schagrin

pays $1.1 mi l l ion for Mari lyn

Monroe's dress.

PHOTO: NY DAILY NEWS ARCHIVE/GETTY

IMAGES

-- - -- - - --- -- - - - -- ------ - - - -

N E W S · B U S I N E S S · F E A T U R E S · S P O R T S

GORE GOES ON OFFENSIVE

IN DEBATE PAGES 4 6 5

17 MIWON HOT DOGS RECAll ED

PAGE 2

LAPTOPS GO HOME WITH

SCHOOL KIDS SPECIAL REPORT

PAGES 32 6 33

77

TECHN I Q U E

3 6 Fashion Translations

Fash ion in fl uences come from many d i fferent

sou rces, i nc l ud ing spo rts, c lu bs, socia l and eco

nomic c lass, and d ifferent cu l tu res. I t's up to the

designer to trans late and adopt these in fl uences

to f it i nto the ma i nstream.

The rugby sh i rt, for examp le, a l lows teams to

identify themse lves with team-specif ic colors

incorporated i nto the f ive or six horizontal str ipes

ca l led hoops. The " rep" t ie i s used by schools,

c l u bs, a nd m i l itary reg iments to d isp lay the i r af

f i l iat ions . The term rep refers to the r ibb ing of the

fa bric's weave, not the co lor and conf igurat ion of

str ipes (a common m i sconcept ion) . How m ight

the idea of wea r ing your "co lors" f igure i n the

design process?

I nteresti ng d i st inct ions deve lop a mong d i ffer

ent socia l and economic c lasses. I n the U n ited

Ki ngdom, costermongers, who so ld fru i t and veg

etab les from market sta l l s , would set themse lves

apa rt from other vendors by sewing a row of

pear l buttons a long the seam s of the i r ga rments .

The resu l t was ca l led a F lash Boy outf it . A large

ca rgo of pearl button s from Japan in the 1 860s is

sa id to have contributed to the deve lopment of

this t rend a mong the tradesmen.

H e n ry C roft was a part of that com m u n ity, and

he i s cred ited with creating the u n ique Pear ly

Ki ngs and Queens look in 1 875. Croft, a teen

age orphan who had a des i re to he lp those i n

need, u nderstood that h e needed to set h imself

apa rt to be n ot iced, so he covered an ent i re su i t

w i th pear l buttons. The fi rst "pear ly" was born .

The working c lass adopted the Pear ly Ki ngs a n d

Q ueens trad it ion t o cont inue t h e "whip aro u nd,"

which is what they cal led m ak ing co l lect ions for

those i n need.

Den im ga rments have been interpreted a nd

re interpreted over the yea rs. I ntroduced as work

c lothes a n d then adopted as fash ion by teenag

ers, den im went on to serve as a canvas for such

embel l i sh ments as meta l studs, hand pa int ing,

and rh inestones. Someti mes the fus ion of two

d ifferent fash ion languages can resu l t i n a fresh

new idea-denim and pearly buttons .


Mary and Fred Tinsley,

Pearly Queen and King of

Southwark, London, 1949

Decorative button deta i l on

denim from Art by T

TECHN I Q U E

3 7 Four Seasons: A Timeline

The seasons he lp com pa rtmenta l ize fash ion . The

pract ical demands of weather a lone cause u s

t o focus o n t h e e lements o f design that sh ie ld a

person from the ra in , sun , wind , o r snow. H ow

ever, the natura l aesthetics of each period a lso

inf l uence designers with regard to the co lors,

patterns, and text u res they choose. Each season

is potent with reference poi nts; even for people

l iv ing in a c l i mate that doesn't cha nge d ramat i

ca l ly from season to season, there a re degrees

of d ifference that have an i m pact on the i r fash ion

cho ices, whether they a re the designers o r the

consumers.

What seasona l associat ions m ight someone

make? Spr ing could br ing showers and gardens

to mind . Summer may evoke sunsh ine a nd

sunfl owers. Fa l l m ight conj u re u p a cava lcade of

color as the leaves cha nge. And winter has the

potent ia l to st i r up frosty i mages of snow and ice.

Although these a re accurate ref lect ions of spr ing,

summer, fa l l , and winter, each des igner has a

u n ique set of var iables that she br ings to the

table based on her persona l exper iences.

These fash ion t ime l i nes a re not s imp ly l i near.

They a re a set of para l le l l i nes that begi n at d if

ferent poi nts o n the ca lendar. It's a ba lanc ing act

for designers, because whichever season you're

actua l l y exper ienci ng, as a fash ion profess iona l

you a re des ign ing for at least two seasons ahead,

produc ing for one season ahead, and d e l ivering

in the present day.


Below: Spring inspiration

Right: Colorful ensemble

featuring floral embroidery

by designer Nara Paz

Below: Summer inspiration

Right: Vintage hand-painted cotton d ress from Poor Little

Rich Girl

Below: Fall inspiration

Right: Copper leather shirt

and satin stripe skirt by

designer Elena Sanders

Below: Winter inspiration

Right: Black-and-white wool

coat by designer Pavlina

Gi lson

TECHN I Q U E

38 Rate, Rules, and Roughs

A fash ion designer may be tempted to avoid

steps in the creative process to meet dead l i nes

or s imply reap the rewards a l i tt le sooner.

Whether it's i n sketchi ng, pattern ma king, o r

sewing, bypass ing steps cou ld undermine the

f ina l outcome.

• Sketch i ng : A sense of the shape and f low of

a ga rment can often i n it i a l ly be found in a

rough sketch . Repeating that process on paper

provides a p lace where deta i l s can be f inessed

before the actual garment is being deve loped.

• Pattern mak ing: Measure twice, cut once.

Mathematics i s a u n iversal l a nguage, and

there i s l itt le room for improvisation when it

comes to accu racy. H ow pattern p ieces i n ter

lock, how they a re based o n c lear and deta i l ed

notat ions o n a pattern, and how they adhere

to the body's measureme nts a re a l l based o n

a system o f ru les .

• Construct ion: Bast ing seems l i ke the biggest

waste of t i me, unt i l something goes wrong. I n

the end, th ink ing a bout bast ing usua l ly wastes

more t ime than actua l ly do ing it. These tem

pora ry st itches serve much the same funct ion

as a rough sketch . They let you a ssess how the

garment i s coming together without tak ing per

manent, and i n some cases i rrevers i b le, steps.

I n addit ion to gett ing it r ight the fi rst t ime, each

and every phase of preparat ion provides an op

portun ity for insp i rat ion . The ru les don 't neces

sar i ly cha nge, but the ones you apply, as wel l

as how, when, and where you apply them, is a

creative act i n itse lf.


First stage of sketch:

the rough

- ..

" ,

. -, "

/ ,

"

r

• ,.1.;., ... .., , , "

-JI"'" , �

. (w<:: ' ,,,-e.

t

>:,

,: /.1' •

"

" ,. "

•

... ,.'

,

� Middle stage(s)

clea ' of sketch'

nmg

,

� , ,

r "

J /

f � t

�

,

,� "-r

t

,

:

..

'f !

j ' .

Fi�a l stage of sketch ' " '1 ' co or and detail

'

83

TECHN I Q U E

39 Hand to Eye

The connect ion between the m i nd 's eye and the

hands of the designer is easi ly taken for granted.

Th is l i n k m ust be re info rced through conscious

exercise and explorat ion . I f the com m u n ication

between the two is f lu id, a designer's dexterity

in execut ing ideas becomes effortless a nd, after

a t ime, second nat u re. B u i ld ing strong bonds re

q u i res equa l pa rts a rt ist, a rch i tect, and construc

t ion worker. I t's easy to p lay to your strengths,

but a good designer w i l l have a c lear com prehen

s ion of cause and effect i n every area .

A stitcher who understa nds how a pattern is

designed to come together produces better work.

The seq uence of construct ion and deta i l p lace

ment wi l l m a ke a big d ifference i n the f in ish of

the f ina l product.

The q u a l ity of a sketch is h igher when it benefits

from knowledge of construct ion techn iq ues

and exper ience with a wide va riety of d ifferent

fa br ics . Rendering the ro l l of fabr ic cut on the

b ias has a d ist inct ly d ifferent feel than drawing

something cut on the lengthwise gra i n .

Patternmake rs w h o c a n v isua l ize how a ga r

ment wi l l be sewn w i l l be sure to inc lude the

r ight i nformat ion i n the pattern they ' re d raft i ng.

I nc lud i ng we l l -p laced notches, the appropriate

seam a l l owance, or enough ease is essentia l i f

the stitcher i s going to be ab le to do his job we l l .

A designer shou ld b e a b l e to navigate between

v isua l mode where the i maginat ion and aesthet

ics are paramount, the b l uepr int phase that

documents and com m u n i cates how each design

w i l l be executed, a nd bu i ld ing someth ing that re

spects and ref lects the origina l v is ion and i ntent.

The more d i rect the path between the designer's

imaginat ion a nd the rea l it ies of produc ing it, the

better the work.


Above: Fashion sketch

of a design by Victoria

Dominguez-8agu

Right: Design by Victoria

Dominguez-8agu

Right: Fashion sketch

of a design by Victoria

Dominguez-8agu

Far Right: Design by Victoria

Dominguez-8agu

� I o -< !=! A m < Z o » -<

85

TECHN I Q U E

4 0 Checks and Balances

One of the most im portant stages i n the design

process is se lf-correction . There may be a sense

of something be ing off, but it 's d ifficu l t to p in

point the prob lem. To do th i s objectively, the

piece needs to be taken out of context. There are

severa l ways to check the work.

Whi le render ing a two-d imens iona l representa

t ion of a design, tu rn i ng the sketch ups ide down

so that it can be seen a s an a bstract object

he lps to m a ke i m ba lances obvious. A vers ion

of a sketch on t raci ng paper can be folded i n

h a l f d own t h e f igure's center t o avoid unwa nted

d istort ions .

The custom of working on the ha l f i s a l ready

practiced in pattern ma king and d ra p i ng because

it cuts down on h u m a n error when trying to

properly ba lance both s ides of the ga rment. Even

patterns for some a symmetr ica l ga rments can be

started on the fold to e nsure proper fit in a reas

that shou ld reflect each other, a l lowing for the

asym metry to then be incorporated i nto

the pattern .

When consider ing the fa br icat ion of a design, col

ors shou ld be checked i n d ifferent types of l ight

to have a c lear vis ion of how the co lors w i l l read.

Fa br ic shou ld a l so be tested for t ransparency to

avoid u nwa nted overexposure .

Throughout construct ion, dou ble-checking seam

a l l owa nce, dart lengths, and hems for consistency

is a good practice to develop. Fin i sh ing hems that

fa l l on the b ias, l i ke a c i rcu lar sk i rt, shou ld fi rst be

a l l owed to hang for at least twenty-fou r hours,

beca use most fabr ic w i l l end up sagging i n those

a reas. This w i l l a l low the designer to ensure an

even ly d istr ib uted sk i rt length.


Color in a fabric u nder natural l ight appears

cool, with a blue cast.

Color in a fabric under incandescent l ight

appears warm, with a red cast.

Color in a fabric under f luorescent light

has a green cast.

When a tried-and-true basic

sloper is used to generate a

new pattern with an asym

metrical feature, starting

the process on the fold wi l l

help ensure that the fit is

consistent. Once the piece is

opened and la id flat, a lmost

any alteration to incorporate

asymmetry into the new

model can be made. The bal

ance is a l ready bui lt in.

87

TECHN I Q U E

41 Machine Interface

The owner's manua l wi l l provide the funda

mentals for us i ng a sewing mach ine, but there

is more to the re lat ionsh ip between sewer and

mach ine than basic i nstruct ions. A successfu l

i nteract ion req u i res a com mitment from the de

signer to "get to know" the mach ine . I t's easy to

attr ibute h u m a n characteristics, even persona l i

t ies, to a mach ine that is used o n a regu lar bas is .

Some designers develop such a strong bond that

they go as far a s n a m i ng their mach ines . Th is can

be a good th ing becau se i t means the operator of

that equ ipment is respons ive to feedback she's

gett ing. Aud ib le, v isua l , and tact i l e c l ues u n ique

to every mach ine he lp the sewer m a ke dec is ions

du r ing the prod uct ion process.

Although most sewing mach ines work in pretty

much the same way, there are l itt le d ifferences

and subt le n uances rega rd ing how they work.

Threading, bobb in type, power, and speed of the

motor a re a few of the m ost obvious th i ngs that

w i l l va ry a mong mach ines .

I f the designer is ab le to recogn ize mach ine parts

and understand the i r fu nct ion , she can solve

prob lems more easi ly. A foot pedal , power cord,

spool ho lder, bobbin winder, tens ion d i scs, stitch

length, width and need le posit ion adjustments,

take-up lever, presser foot, p ressu re adjustment,

throat p late, feed dog, hand wheel , m otor, belt,

thread cutter, s l ide p late, bobb in , and bobbin

case a re the parts common to most mach ines.

Become int imately acqua inted with you r ma

chine . Read the m a n u a l .

C lean ing, l ubricat ion, a n d mechan ica l adju st

ments a re a part of basic ma intenance that en

sures consistent resu lts. Safe p ract ices a re often

based on com mon sense. Don't rush, don't force,

keep the a rea neat, and keep f ingers away from

the needle . If fabr ic is be ing fed into the mach ine

proper ly, there i s no reason why hands shou ld

ever be c lose enough to cause in ju ry.

An investment of t ime and energy is req u i red if

designers a re going to have a good exper ience

and posit ive resu lts.


I nside an overlock machine

Inside a buttonhole machine

TECHN I Q U E

42 Cut, Drape, and Fold

Close exa m i nat ion of how fabr ic is man ipu lated

by cutt ing, drap i ng, and fo l d i ng a l lows the

designer to bu i ld s u bt le and dyna mic e lements

into a des ign . Developing a lternative cutt ing

strategies, wrapping the f igure in soft fo lds ,

or design ing systems of pleats, permits the

designer to tran sform a ny s i l houette.

The role of the cutter in a design room seems

s imp le enough-cut the p ieces-but i t i s a job

that demands great precis ion and attent ion to

deta i l . How the garment i s cut especia l l y when

us i ng patterned fabrics l i ke stripes, checks,

and p la ids can resu l t i n d ifferent appeara nces.

P ieces can be cut on d ifferent gra ins or the b ias

for effect.

There is a sensua l ity i nvolved i n d rap ing fa br ic

on and a round the body. The sar i (or saree) i s

a n idea l exa mple of a garment that uses a rtfu l

d rap ing. I t i s a length of fabr ic, approx imately

5 to 1 0 yards (4.6 to 9.1 m ) in length, usua l ly

featur ing an ornamenta l border. I t i s not cut or

sewn in a ny way. The contem porary sar i is worn

over a cho l i (sari b louse) and a petticoat. I t can

be d raped in a va r iety of ways, but the N iv i style

is the most popu lar.

Scott ish tartans were origin a l ly d raped i n a

fash ion s i m i l a r to the sari , ca l led the G reat K i lt

giv ing a soft toga- l i ke appeara nce. The k i l t has

evo lved over t ime to take on a more ta i lo red

l ook, featur ing precise ly measured and perfect ly

pressed kn i fe or box p leats. The modern k i l t uses

6 to 8 ya rds (5.5 to 7.3 m) of fab ric and can be

p leated to set, wh ich a lthough p leated, v isua l ly

ma inta i n s the tartan repeat. A k i l t can a lso be

p leated to stri pe, a m ethod associated with ki lts

for the m i l ita ry. A proper ta rta n is made of wool

twi l l and m ust be ident ica l i n both d i rect ions of

the warp and weft of the fabr ic . Methods that

req u i re an adherence to the k ind of r igid ru les

involved in k i lt-mak ing cu l t ivate a beauty on ly

mathematics ca n provide .


Kilt by Hector Russe l l ,

Edinburgh, Scotland

Straight-gra in top

Straight-gra in swatch

Bias top

Bias swatch

Cross-gra in top

Cross-gra in swatch

Vintage sari cou rtesy

of Shel ley Chha bra

TECHN I Q U E

4 3 Underpinnings and Assembly

Any ga rment, from p la in to intr icate, w i l l benefit

from a sound in frastructure . Wel l -const ructed

garments rely on m a ny e lements that are not

apparent at f i rst g lance. Good workma nsh ip w i l l

depend upon specif ic tec h n iq ues and addit iona l

mater ia ls that best serve the des ign.

Choosing the best seam for a project i s con

t i ngent on the effect the des igner i s trying to

ach ieve and the nature of the mater ia l s being

used. S imp le garments may use p la i n sea ms that

can be f in i shed with p i n king shears o r over lock

stitch ing to prevent u n rave l i ng. Bound sea ms a re

f in ished with a str ip of b ias-cut fabr ic and are

commonly found i n u n l i ned garments. A French

seam is a seam with in a seam, which works wel l

with shear fa br ics. Lapped o r f lat-fe l led sea ms

can be found on jeans and are used for the ir

strength and d u rab i l ity.

Fac i ngs are used to f in i sh off areas such a s

a neckl ine o r an a rm hole . Fus ib le and sew- i n

interfac ings are found in fac ings, c uffs, co l la rs,

p lackets, a n d buttonho les to add body, keep

sha pe, and s u ppo rt and reinforce an area.

They a re ava i l ab le as woven, nonwoven , and

kn i t materia ls .

L in ing i s the idea l way to profess iona l ly fi n i sh a

garment . I nter l i n ing is used between the l i n i ng

and the garment to provide warmth, whereas

under l i n ing is used to a lter the hand (drape a n d

fee l ) o f t h e fabr ic, w h i l e a lso sta b i l i z i ng a n d

strengthen ing it . I t c a n b e as l ight as organza o r

as r igid as buckra m .

Bon ing is a nother type o f stab i l i zer a n d i s not

restr icted to use in corsets, bust iers, and strap

less cresses. I t can be used a long side seams to

prevent saggi ng or as part of a neck l ine to avoid

gap ing. I t can be app l ied to any a rea to prevent it

from col l aps ing a n d taking away from the design.

Depend ing o n the garment's design, there is

a lways a logica l o rder for i ts assembly. H ow it

is assemb led and f in ished a lso affects the f ina l

product. Which areas a re to be stitched? G l ued?

Taped? Fused? Every choice takes the ga rment i n

a d i fferent d i rection, m ak ing it tru ly un ique t o the

designer who conceived of it .


Clockwise: Boned bodice;

Overlocked seam; Pinked

sea m

Infrastructure of a Daniel

Faucher Couture bridal gown

TECHN I Q U E

44 Manipulating Ful lness

The vo lume a nd bu lk of a ga rment can be con

t ro l led by var ious methods.

Gather ing fabr ic is one way to add fu l l ness.

Ruff les a re made of gathered fa br ic that is re

leased on one edge. S h i rr i ng i nvolves gather ing

on opposite edges, in m u lt ip le rows, so that the

rows a re conta ined. Both f lounces, which a re cre

ated us ing c i rcu la r sha pes, a n d godets-wedge

sha ped inserts-are used to add f lared fu l l ness.

Smocking i nvo lves p inch ing fa br ic in patterns

such as the honeycomb. The s i l houette of a gar

ment can a lso be pum ped up with q u i lt i ng and

stuffi ng.

Fa br ic can a lso be folded to c reate many d ifferent

types of pleats that m anage fu l l ness . Flat p leats

such as kn i fe, fa n, accord ion , box, and i nverted

box can be pressed or u n pressed, can be part ia l ,

or can r u n the fu l l length of the a rea . B roomst ick

pleat ing i s a n i rregu lar, crushed type of p leat.

Exa mples of project ing p leats inc lude cartr idge,

pi nched, and tubu la r. Tucks can be spaced,

graduated, doub led, and tapered, as we l l as being

contoured, s lashed, and cross-stitched. Mater i

a ls that have a m i n i m u m of 60 percent man

made f iber have thermoplast ic propert ies, wh ich

means they wi l l reta i n shapes that a re ba ked in

with heat. These heat-treated fabr ics a re idea l

for creat ing sta rbu rst p leat i ng and va r iat ions on

Fortuny-style p leat ing.

Darts a re one of the most effic ient ways to e l im i

nate u nwa nted fu l l ness and contour the shape

of a garment . They a re usua l ly tr iangu l a r or

d iamond shaped and sewn r ight s ides together

so that excess fabr ic can be folded o r t r im med

away.

Many of these techn iques can be used i n conce rt

and the com bi nat ions a re end less . Devis ing

a p l an for the app l i cat ion of a ny of these pro

ced u res can contr ibute to both s i l houette a n d

surface textu re .


Above: Gathers create

vo lume in a Christian LaCroix

dress.

Right: Empire dress

pleated at bust by Victoria

Dominguez- Bagu

Box pleats are gathered into

the bubble si l houette of a

cocktail dress by Eddi Phi l l i ps.

TECHN IQUE

45 Body Mapping

The leg bone's connected to the knee bone,

the knee bone's connected to the th igh bone,

the th igh bone's connected to the h ipbone, and

so on and so forth . These a re the roads to the

ca rtogra phy of couture. A step further than

a n atomy, body mapp ing is a bout understa nd

ing the re lat ionsh ips between d i fferent a reas of

the body, the experience of the wearer, and the

garment itse lf. The concept of body mapp ing

re l ies on se lf-observation and se lf- i nqu i ry. The

designer has to gather the same kind of i ns ight

by com m u n icating with h i s c l ient .

S im i l a r to us ing a road m a p, a body map ant ic i

pates needs to bui ld in the structure, function,

and size. Does a stra p l ess dress have enough

structura l su pport to keep it from s l i pp ing down

the body as the wea rer moves? In the case of

garments be ing used i n act ive s ituat ions, do the

garments a l low for fu l l a rt icu l at ions of jo i nts,

musc le reflexes, and/or how the body expands

as it b reathes? Is there enough ease in the seat

of a garment that is worn by someone who sits

most of the day? I f the answer to any of these

questions is "no," the designer can make cou rse

corrections wh i l e deve lop ing the ga rment that

a l low for effic ient, e lega nt m ovement a n d

comfort i n any s ituat ion . These a re a l l physical

rea l it ies, but there are a lso abstract boundar ies

inf l uenced by society and a designer's sens ib i l i

t ies, such a s how Iow a neck l ine on a b louse can

and shou ld go.


CD Designing a neckline close

to the base of the neck

should take i nto consider

ation that the neck natu

rally leans forward so as

not to constrict the throat.

The height of a col lar may

interfere with the head's

range of motion.

@ The shou lder is a pivot

point for the arm. When

engineering an arm-

hole, the designer must

consider how much ease

wi l l a l low for fu l l or l imited

rotation of the a rm. The

depth and breadth of the

armhole wi l l a lso be a

contributing factor to fit.

® The fit at the bust l ine

must take into consid

eration not only the

measurement and the cup

size, but a lso the contrac

tion and expansion of the

lu ngs-which also affects

the back. The back of the

garment is subject to ad

ditional stress across the

shoulder blades due to the

natural tendency of the

arms to reach forward.

@) The e lbow is a primary

stress point for a sleeve.

A sma l l dart at the elbow

wi l l a l low the arm to bend

without putting undue

wear and tear on the

sleeve whi le sti l l reta in ing

a snug fit. Adding volume

to the s leeve at this point

wil l also a l low for freedom

of movement, but alters

the si lhouette.

® The height and shape of

the rise in a pant must

a l low for any extension of

the abdomen, the fu l l ness

and shape of the backside,

and the fact that the body bends at this point. When

the figure bends or sits,

the seat spreads.

® The knee is a primary

stress point for the pant

leg. The pant leg may be

designed with a generous

amount of ease to main

ta in a smooth s i lhouette

or be intentional ly lacking

ease in order to create a

shape that bunches up

and grabs at the knee.

® A pleat, a s l it, or a wrap

deta i l will a l low for a fu l l

stride in a skirt with a

narrow si lhouette. The

designer may l imit move

ment by design to bring

about a very specific way

to move in the garment.

Some examples include

the t raditiona l kimono or

Pa u l Poi ret's hobble skirt

of the 1910s.

TECHN I Q U E

46 Uniformity

H aving been raised i n I nd ia , where un iforms were

a fact of l i fe in pub l ic school , Sheena Mathe iken

had no prob lem p ledging to wea r the same d ress

for 365 days (seven ident ica l dresses, one for

each day of the week) . The cha l lenge lay in sty l

ing and resty l i ng the d ress so that no two days

were the same. The whole project was deve loped

as a fu n d ra iser for Akanksha Fou ndat ion . The

concept i s a testament to putti ng a new face on

how much we can do to express ourse lves, even

with in the constra i nts of a un iform, s imu ltane

ous ly speaking to i ssues such a s susta i nab i l ity,

wh i le su pport i ng a great cause.

In the a rena of more t rad i t iona l u n iforms, these

garments become sym bols associated with the

m i l i tary, law enforcement, protection, rescue,

and the service industry. U n iform design has

its l i m its and may not have the gla mour of

trend-ba sed designs, but the cha l l enge comes

in the form of professiona l standards of q u a l ity,

comfort, d u ra b i l ity, safety, a n d any of the specif ic

req u i rements of the job.


Right: Beyond the practical

there is the pageantry. Due

to the historic and heroic

nature of many of those who

wear a uniform, there are

often formal ceremonies that

requ i re a little more gra ndeur.

This might be done gently

with ribbons and/or with a

great deal more impact, as

in the case of the Scottish

mi litary tattoo where long

standing tradition dictates

the f lourish of deta i ls.

Below: Blauer police u niform

deta i ls

Uniform Project dress

•• • • • • • •• •• o • •

:. e • • •

.. . : .

•

99

TECHN I Q U E

47 Fit

Garments can g ra b, sk im, or bag around the

wea rer's body depending o n the designer's

aesthetic of fit . A flatter ing f it may be i n the eye

of the beholder, but as a ru le, garments that

squeeze and cut into the body, or that over

whe lm it with vo l u me, are not usua l ly cons idered

attractive or properly s ized. U l t imate ly, op in ions

regard i ng fit a re a lways su bjective, due to a wide

variety of cu l tura l inf luences that cu l t ivate d i ffer

ent standards of beauty.

A t ight fit w i l l seize the body, becom ing a second

sk in , often creas ing and fo ld ing as it stra ins to

cover the area.

A true f it w i l l fo l low the contou rs of the body,

us ing a ba la nce of gent le ta i l or ing and ease to

reta i n the i ntegrity of the s i l houette.

A loose fit's generous proport ions m ight a l so be

considered re laxed or oversized beca use they

a l low for a f u l l range of mot ion .

Other factors to cons ider when address ing the

f i t of a garment inc lude vanity s iz i ng, which

more accurate ly reflects the psychology of the

customer rather than her actual s ize . Category

s iz ing, as in M isses, J u n ior, Women's, and Petite,

a re used to i n form s iz ing for specif ic body types.

There is rea l l y no such th ing as one size fits a l l ,

beca use a lthough you may be ab le to get a ga r

ment over your body, the f it w i l l be d ifferent from

person to person .

Customization i s a lways a n opt ion when i t comes

to provid ing the proper fit for the c ustomer, but

designers can a lso develop i n-house s iz ing sta n

dards that ref lect specif ic body measurements.

Armed with th is useful tool , customers a lways

know what they're gett i ng.


Tight fit

/

True fit

'" "

- -

- -

Loose fit

101

TECHN I Q U E

48 Mend and Alter

"Make Do and Mend" was the name of a cam

pa ign d u ring World Wa r I I which encou raged the

repa i r and rep u rposing of everyth ing that st i l l

had the potent ia l to b e u sefu l . Waste was the

enemy, and th is movement set a creative cha l

l enge to women everywhere to do the i r part and

sti l l be sty l i sh . Booklets were d istr ibuted that i n

c luded tec h n iques such as b i n d i ng frayed edges,

darn ing, tak ing garments in and letting them out,

recutting a garment into a new style, un p ick ing a

kn it, rekn itt ing with the same yarn, and p la in as

we l l a s decorative patch i ng. N ecessity became

both the mother of invent ion and fash ion .

F ix ing i m perfections i s a n exercise i n f i nd ing the

beauty in f laws. Even a lteri ng perfectly good

garments can enha nce the ove ra l l look and fee l ,

and in the end can create a u n ique design for

the wearer .

• • . .

, .

....

,. 9 ..

' . . , I .. •• , • • • • • • f,"

" " - 0 o . ' •• CI , • • , .. . " I N . , . ,

• 0. . • ... . , ,..

Make Do and Mend booklet


1

2

4

5

Left: Recut and repurposed brown

plaid dress by Shannon G lasheen

3

1. Origin: gray knit hoodie

sweatshirt

2. Origin: men's plaid flannel jacket

3. Origin: herringbone pencil skirt

Right: Recut and repurposed color

blocked dress by Shannon G lasheen

6

4. Origin: men's red hoodie

sweatshirt and women's terry cloth tank top

5. Origin: Vespa logo T-shirt

6. Origin: African dashiki

103

TECHN I Q U E

49 Deconstruct and Reconstruct

I n the name of susta i na b i l ity a s we l l as style, Shannon G lasheen designs

many designers a re tak ing u nwa nted clothes

apart and refash ion ing them i nto completely

different and origi n a l ga rments . In the interest

of mak ing good use of the mounta ins of d is-

carded fash ions that s i t i n c losets, th r ift stores,

and warehouses a round the globe-if they have

not a l ready been re legated to la ndf i l ls-these

designers t ra nsform the secondhand and the u n -

sold i nto relevant new fash ions . T h i s repurposi ng

resonates with a generat ion of fash ion enthus i-

asts concerned with the environment .

Designer Shannon G lasheen a pp l ies a l l her t ra i n

i n g i n pattern making and construct ion to rep u r

pose garments that may be outdated, we l l worn,

or m isunderstood. Breath ing new l ife i nto p ieces

such as these req u i res that the designer look at

each item as raw materia l and not as a f in ished

product. Once d i ssected, there may a lso be very

specif ic sect ions of a garment that can be reori

ented to serve a new pu rpose. Bu i ld ing hybrids is

a nother va r iat ion of th is m ethod, where e le ments

from va r ious garments a re rem ixed into a

designer mashup .

For designers worki ng with i n the confi nes of

a bus iness model with d ifferent demands, the

deconstruct/reconstruct a pproach to the des ign

process can be incorporated as an aesthetic from

the start, ut i l iz i ng it to deve lop sample ga rments

that can then be rep l icated.


TECHN I Q U E

so Structure and Scale

I n the wi ld , when confronted by a n a n i m a l , some

experts suggest extendi ng you r arms over you r

head o r out t o your s ides, o r ho ld ing you r jacket

open, to give the im press ion of be ing la rger and

more th reaten ing. Bas ic rept i l i an b ra i n surv iva l

inst incts m ight be at the core of what drives u s

t o refra me o u r bodies to s imu late more i m pos

ing shapes. A colorful example of fright or f l ight

fash ion can be found a mong the costumes

designed by Tim Chappe l a n d L izzy G a rd i ner

for the movie Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Many

costume ideas for that f i lm came from an ima l l i fe

ind igenous to Austra l i a . One of those creatures,

the f r i l l -neck l izard , has a ruff of skin around its

neck that f lares out when frightened. The design

ers emu lated that featu re to dra matic effect in a

co l l a r on one of the costumes. When the ma le

peacock fa ns out its feathers to attract a mate, it

creates a very d ifferent su rviva l impulse .

The hoop sk i rt is an underga rment that consists

of r igid concentr ic r i ngs made of rope, osiers,

wha lebone, stee l , or nylon, and suspended by

fa br ic o r bands of r ibbon. When stored, the

structure can co l lapse into itse lf, but when worn,

the whole th ing funct ions as a support system

for a wom a n 's skirt . Part icu la r shapes reflect

the fash ion of any specif ic period, but the sca le

a lso provides a measure of persona l space that

keeps everyone at arm's length . The French word

panniers refers to wicker baskets that a re s l u n g

on e ither s i d e o f a pack a n i m a l . Pan n iers used for

fash ion were fastened onto a woma n 's h ips to

create an effect s im i l a r to the hoop ski rt .

H eaddresses, shou lder pads, bust les, and

tra ins a re a lso used to extend o u rselves and

our persona l bounda ries i n the name of fash ion .

At a t ime when fash io n was focused on the bust,

Vivienne Westwood is c red ited with d ivert ing u s

t o t h e rea r with bust les d u bbed Faux Cui, that ce l

ebrated, if not exaggerated, a woman's derr iere .


... -

.. - -..... _-

--

t -- - _

-......... _ -- - --

-

- . - - • -

-

-

- -----

«

2

3

-

- -

-- - -

- .... -

- -

1. Hoop skirt

2. Panniers

- 3. Bustle

=

107

TECHN IQUE

5 1 Anatom ica Ily Correct

I t i s no coinc idence that one of the th i ngs that

designer Geoffrey Beene i s known for i s l i berat

ing a woma n 's body. He stud ied medic ine at

Tu lane U n ivers ity for three years before sh ift ing

gears and studying fash ion at Traphagen School

of Fash ion . He u nderstood the mechan ics of the

body, and therefore e l i m inated convent iona l

i m pedi ments such as u n n ecessa ry padding,

interl in i ngs, z ippers, and fasteners.

Comfort i s one of the pr imary concerns for

the contem pora ry consumer. A designer benefits

from u n dersta nd ing the body and how it works,

such as what happens when a musc le contracts,

re laxes, or extends. W i l l a garment provide u n re

stricted movement? Structu res that encase the

body need to respond to the p l iab i l ity of m uscles

and the r igid ity of bones. Studying the a n atomy

of mamma ls, b i rds, i nsects, rept i l es, and aq uat ic

l i fe cou l d provide a wea lth of design cues. The

a rch itecture of p lant l i fe m ight suggest a lterna

t ive methods i n so lv ing creative cha l lenges. Even

microscopic o rgan isms can serve a s a source of

insp i rat ion .

Ath let ic garments, medica l garments, and under

garments take advantage of text i l e techno logy

and engi neer ing to add ress the issues a ssociated

with mob i l ity. Beyond range of motion, the same

too l s can be app l ied to com press ing the body to

protect o r reshape i t . A good com prehension of

the body and how it works a l so a l l ows the de

signer to i so late aspects of the design process to

address specific areas of the body, with each zone

offer ing its own advantages and d isadvantages.


Haute Contour, the Dessert

Shapewear™ by SPANX,

launched in 2009 is the

next step in the evolution

of fou ndation garments,

designed to ach ieve a

specific si lhouette while a lso

providing gentler support

and more comfort than it's

predecessors-the corset

and the girdle. What may

be in itial ly taken for granted

as a simple u ndergarment

is now infused with the

kind of scientific research

and techno logy that make

it a powerful partner in the

process of fashion design.

TECHN I Q U E

52 Roads Less Traveled

A designer who focuses pr ima r i ly on the front

torso when design ing a garment is miss ing out

on an opportun ity to explore and accentuate

other parts of the body. H e re a re other i m porta nt

a reas to consider :

Going Below

For some designers, the lower ha l f of the gar

ment or ensemble i s a n afterthought, something

that completes the look but rem a i n s secondary

and su bord i nate to the top. The hem of a d ress,

an embe l l ishment on a sk i rt, a n d the shape of a

pant a l l have j ust as much power to set the tone

for the rest of the outfit .

From Beh ind

M a king an entra nce is one th i ng, but how some

one looks as she t u rns and walks away has the

potent ia l to have a s much i m pact, if not more

so. P l u nging backs, sk i rt ta i ls , bows, flowers, and

other f lourishes a re just a few of the ways to

br ing u p the rea r.

Side to Side

The satin t r im down the s ide seam of a tuxedo

pant i s not the extent of deta i l that can be p laced

in this a rea . The very seam itse lf provides myriad

cho ices. Side sea ms can sp l i t to revea l , p leat

to contro l fu l l n ess, i ncorporate a c losure, or be

decorated .

Inside Look

Close and carefu l attent ion to the workmansh ip

and specia l deta i l s i ns ide a ga rment a re the mark

of a f i ne product .


Right: Kira McClel lan side

deta i l

Below: Va lentino back deta i l

Far Right: Aey Hotarwaisaya

design with focus on skirt

hem deta i l

TECHN IQUE

5 3 Camouflage and Complement

When i t comes to camouf laging or complement

ing the shape of a body, designers need to th ink

a bout how to conceal or accentuate d ifferences

in body shape . A designer who t reats these de

v iat ions from the average l i ke var iat ions and not

flaws is a l ready a step ahead in the psycho logy of

fash ion . Cons ider that average is just a reference

point. I t usua l ly ind icates ba la nced proportions i n

a sca le that relates t o he ight, width, and weight.

These bas ic body types benefit from specia l

design deta i l s :

The Apple

Broad shou lders and nar row h ips can benefit

from something that b reaks up the width of the

shou lder, such as a ha lter neckl ine .

The Pear

Emphas iz ing the torso, especi a l l y the shou lders,

and downplaying the h ips w i l l ba la nce a frame

with narrow shou lders and a fu l le r h ip.

The Ru ler

The combinat ion of na r row shou lders and h ips

creates a long, th in frame . That length can be

b roken up with horizontal l i nes as wel l as cups o r

other deta i l that enhances t h e bust l i ne .

The Hourglass and the Fuller Figure

Broad shou lde rs, fu l l bust, and fu l l h i ps benefit

from asymmetr ica l style l i nes. I f the m idsection

is fu l l e r, deta i l s such as ruch ing can create the

i l l us ion of a more tapered waist l i ne .

Add ing other factors into the equat ion, such

as long waist, short wa ist, cup s ize, height, and

weight, gives r ise to nua nces that m ay requ i re

adjustments and/or adaptations. Cut length,

sty le l i nes, asym metry, deta i l p lacement, pad

d i ng, and corset ing are some of the design

cho ices that ass ist in the modif icat ion of a body

type through c loth ing. Transforming the a ppear

a n ce of a figu re is about red i rect ing attent ion,

and not a bout correct ion .


Clockwise:

Bathing suit d rawings: a pple;

pear; ru ler; hourglass

>-"'5 � :;; w � >-w � , w '" <{ :;; >-� � C? Z ;: <{ � 0

;;' u Z I u w >-

113

TECHN I Q U E

54 Clothes That Carry

Whether it is the sma l lest of five pockets o n a

pa i r of jean s meant for spare cha nge, o r a l a rge

pouch o n the front of a hooded sweatsh i rt, a ny

type of pocket can be eq ua l parts function and

design. Even a n i n -seam pocket, wh ich is meant

to d i sappear, helps to keep the l i nes of the design

smooth wh i le s i m u ltaneous ly p rovid ing the

ca pacity to carry.

Wor ld Wa r I I is recogn ized as a period i n which

many tech nologica l adva nces were made i n

response to the demands o f the day. Designs

deve loped du r ing that e ra a lso ref lected needs

u n ique to the t ime period, as is evident in the

creat ion of the kanga roo c loak. This garment

was designed with huge pockets that a l l owed

the wea rer to q u ick ly stuff them with household

i tems when a ir ra id s i rens went off.

Pockets can d o doub le duty depending on how

they're made and what they're made of. Some

pockets can be t urned ins ide out to envelop

a ga rment, l i ke a wind b rea ker o r ra i n poncho.

When made out of f leece, they can serve as hand

wa rmers in outerwea r.

Designing pract ica l pockets for carpenter pants

w i l l be d ictated by the specif ic too l s that need

to be carried . Any type of pocket can have a f lap

that i s fastened by buttons or Ve lcro. Z ipper

pockets offer a nother type of c losure. Pockets

can be inserted into a s l i t in the fa br ic a n d em

be l l i shed/strengthened with a welt .

Accessories that act as ut i l ity be lts, such a s the

fa n ny pack, pocket belts, bum bags, or h ip sack,

a re pop u l a r for the i r versat i l i ty. C loth ing deve l

oped for t h e m i l ita ry or spec ia l activit ies, such

as safari jackets, f ish i ng vests, and photography

vests, provides tem plates for pocket-dr iven

design. The ca rgo pant is sta ndard issue in the

a rm ed forces, a s wel l a s i n many fash ionable

wardrobes.


Patch pocket with button f lap

Inset zipper pocket I nset welt pocket

115

TECHN I Q U E

55 Design unto Others

Design unto others a s you wou ld have them de

s ign u nto you. This golden ru le shou ld a lways be

referenced d u ring the des ign process, especia l ly

i n the world of fash ion . What a re the customer's

concerns when it comes to c loth ing? A designer

m ust deve lop a certa i n level of em pathy for c l i

ents who p lace d ifferent demands on the appare l

they purchase.

Put you rself in the place of someone who i s es

pec ia l ly ta l l , petite, th in , o r fu l l -figu red, o r whose

body proport ions have u n expectedly changed

d ra matica l ly. I n addit ion to the psychological

concerns, there a re unden iable physica l aspects

to contend with .

Fash ion design for the e lder ly i s an i m portant

considerat ion as wel l . As we get o lder, o u r sen

s it iv ity to changes in temperatu re and textu re

increases. L im ited mob i l ity i s a lso cons idered

a factor.

D isab i l it ies that req u i re the use of a cane, wa l ker,

or wheelcha i r provide the designer with percep

t ib le issues that m ust be add ressed. Arthr it is is

a d isab i l ity that i s less obvious. Button c losures

that m ight seem s imp le enough at fi rst g lance

cou ld pose a cha l lenge for someone l iv ing with

a rth r it is . Poss ib le solut ions can be found i n the

most u n p redictable p laces. The long z ipper p u l l

for the back z ipper on a wetsu i t m ight b e o n e

way to dea l with a back z ipper on a d ress for

someone with l i m ited range of motion.

Fash ion designers can take a cue from other

i ndustr ies that have i ncorporated these pr i n

c i p les i n to the i r work a s bench m a rks of good

design. For exam ple, the m iss ion of the I nstitute

for H u m a n Centered Design is to expand and

enha nce exper iences for people of a l l ages and

ab i l i t ies t h rough design to i m p rove q u a l ity of l i fe.

Designers who can put themselves in the shoes

of any of these c l ients w i l l develop sens i b i l it ies

that inf luence a nd enhance the i r work.


Wetsuit zipper deta i l

When honoring fashionable

and elder clientele, a designer

may find inspiration in the

form of the iconic American

model Carmen Del l 'Orefice,

who began her career at the

age of fifteen in 1946 and

continues to be a sought

after model on the runways

and in print. With the muse

of matu rity, designers can

counteract the ageism of

the fashion industry and

truly serve their customer,

Grandmothers are no longer

relegated to their rocking

chairs-instead they can

be fou nd at the gym on the

tread mi l l beside you-not to

mention the front row,

TECHN I Q U E

56 Reshape and Reconfigure

Once of the easiest ways to reshape a garment is

to belt i t . Whether it serves to gra b and contro l

vo l u m e or create a v isua l b reak, the effect i s

powerfu l . Consumers a re looking for versat i l ity in

the i r wardrobes and designers can bu i ld that ver

sat i l ity i nto the ir work by consider ing how tying

off a garment at d ifferent p laces w i l l t ransform it .

Contrasting belts create the most obvious b reak.

A self-belt i s a softer way to cinch a shape .

D rawstri ngs do the same job but can be d i s

creet ly h idden with i n channe ls posit ioned a l most

a nywhere on a ga rment-under the b u st, with i n

s ide sea ms, at the wa ist, a long the s leeve, or on

pant legs and sk irt hems.

S i l houettes can a lso be transformed when parts

of the garment can be attached or removed with

button, z ip, snap, hook, or Ve lcro . S leeves b utton

off and t ra nsform a jacket i nto a vest. Pa nt legs

z ip off to become shorts. A snap-on pep l u m w i l l

take a day jacket i nto even i ng. A sk irt o r t ra i n can

be bust led up with h idden hooks. Shou lder pads

Ve lcro in to create an exaggerated shape. Even

bu lk can be adj usted with removab le l i n ings.


Viktor & Rolf belted

trench coat

TECHN I Q U E

57 Resurface

The imaginative a pp l i cat ion of decorative cou

ture deta i ls a l lows for even the most m odest

of fa br ics to become extraord ina ry. The use of

thread, beads, seq u i n s, f lowers, a pp l iq ue, feath

ers, and r ibbon i s l a rge ly a decorative process

that i nvolves raw mater ia ls that are not neces

sar i ly generated by the or ig ina l cloth. Us ing on ly

the fa br ic itself, i t i s a lso poss ib le to transform

both the surface and the s i l houette with ruch i ng,

bust les, q u i lt i ng, ruffl es, a nd p ickups. The a b i l

ity t o a lter, em phas ize, and accent a concept i s

restricted on ly by one's imaginat ion .


Beading

Sequins

Qui lt ing

Embroidery Fabric roses

Feathers Corded appl ique

Gold sequin dress by

Daniela Corte

TECHN I Q U E

58 A Cut Above

Scissors a re a n essent ia l part of a designer's tool

kit, for obvious reasons. When it comes to most

garments, a designer w i l l use shears to tr i m away

excess fa br ic a n d shape the overa l l s i l ho uette,

which i nc ludes carv ing out neck l i nes and arm

ho les . The laser takes the a rt of the cut to a new

level of prec is ion and eff ic iency.

Although c utt ing holes and t ri m m i ng edges i nto

sca l lops is tech n ica l ly a process of e l i m inat ion ,

i t is a lso a form of decorat ion . Shaped keyhole

ope n i ngs have long been i ncorporated i nto the

design of a c losure, but these open ings can be

scaled and even m u lt ip l ied for d ramat ic effect.

The cutaway aesthetic is a lso the bas is of cut

work needle lace and em bro ider ies . The edges of

any a rea that is extracted may be left unt reated,

bound with thread, or f in ished with a facing.

C a refu l ly considered cutting proves that there

a re t imes when what i s removed i s a s i m portant

as what is added.


A model wearing a ready-to

wear outfit featuring cut-outs by designer Yohji Yamamoto,

2010

� I o -< o ro -<

A model wearing a cut-out

ensemble from Jean-Charles

de Castelbajac's ready-to

wea r collection, 2006

�

t5 <: ;; >->->-� e::

-:::. >-0 oc � w oc ::5 a: >-� 0 >-0 I �

. . ,

, ,

, •

J • •

• • • • •

, •

. , ,

, '� � • • •

, .. , ,

," •

• ,. •

• • •

TECHN I Q U E

59 Fringe and Fray

The outer edges of a s i l houette need not be the

defi n it ive f in ish l i n e of a garment. De l i berately

adding some type of tr im to the edge of a gar

ment wi l l have a more orga n ic a n d less r igid

q u a l ity. Fri nge softens a shape by e l i m i nat ing

the hard l i n e by way of movement, and i n some

instances, i rregu lar lengths. Pom poms, tasse ls,

beads, and feathers have a l l been used to create

interest ing and p layful edges. Even s imp le eye

lash fr inge on a f lapper- insp i red d ress w i l l dance

on the surface of the des ign with just the s l ight

est of m ovements. Such a n a n imated garment is

compe l l i ng and enterta i n i ng.

A word of caut ion is in order for des igners

who see frayed edges as an easy out from the

trad it iona l and often cha l l eng ing work of f i n ish

ing a garment . I n corporating a raw edge into a

garment has its own set of cha l lenges if it i s to

be done wel l . I f the gra i n l i ne at that edge i s not

properly a l igned, i t w i l l end up fray ing u n even ly.

I f the fabr ic is prone to frayi ng, it's i m perative to

apply a stay stitch to control how fa r i t w i l l u n

rave l . Natura l frayed edges w i l l soften and re lax

even the most iconic of ta i l o red ga rments, such

as a Chane l su it .


Dress by Aida Lourenco with

frayed hem as the center

of interest

'oJ ?L ;. ..

, � . "

� .,' A • 41

.r, .• II.

..

X ' .

� . J;;. �

� I 0 -l 0 ro -<

.- r> I Z ,. � I 0 -l 0 �

;;;. � -l -l -< '" ,. '" �

--

A model in fringed white suit

by Chanel, 2005

125

TECHN I Q U E

60 Add, Subtract, and Preserve

A scu l ptor i s afforded three basic processes that

w i l l i nform the style of the f ina l work. She may

add, s u btract. or preserve. A designer approach

es the use of mater ia ls i n much the same way.

Each has a n i m pact on the spat ia l re lat ionsh ip of

a ga rment to the wea rer as wel l as the environ

ment that s u rrounds it .

Lady Gaga i s known for her high-concept

fash ion sense, tak ing i nsp i rat ion from avant

garde designers such a s M arti n Margie la and

A lexander M cQueen . Part of her ha ute cout u re

tro u sseau i nc l udes variat ions of a d ress i nsp i red

by Thierry M ugler. The design of the d ress

features m u l t ifaceted th ree-d imens iona l shapes

that project from her body l i ke an explosion of

crysta l sta lagmites. Costu mes l i ke these use the

add itive process, assemb l ing the fin a l shape by

bu i l d i ng onto a core ga rment.

The tu l l e gown s in a V iktor & Ro lf 2010 col lec

t ion ach ieved a level of su r rea l i sm that would

have impressed Sa lvador Da l i . The met icu lous ly

ca rved s i l houettes were a n exercise in the cre

ation of negative space. These ca refu l l y executed

voids defy comprehens ion and leave most ask

ing, " How d id they do that?" The Dutch design

team assured environ menta l watchdogs that the

m iss ing fabr ic was proper ly recyc led .

In the a rt of or igami , noth ing is removed or

added. On ly t h rough fo ld i ng does the form take

and reta in its shape . The Marc J acobs co l lect ion

for Dior in 2007 experimented with the l i fe-size

appl icat ion of fo lds and p leat ing used in or iga m i .

The gowns were obvious ly not constructed

from one a ltered p iece of square fabric, but the

drap ing and surface treatments do pay homage

to the gracefu l forms that resu l t from thoughtful

fo ld ing.


Lady Gaga in a three

d imensional black and gold

dress, 2008

A model in an origami

inspired gown from the

Christian Dior Haute

Couture Col lection,

Spring/Su mmer 2007

s: » ii1 �----------------------------------� �

A model wearing a sculptura l

cut-out gown by Viktor &

Rolf, 2010

TECHN I Q U E

61 Change Agents

C lever couture that i s m u lt i funct iona l by design

is not on ly a great investment, but a l so a creative

exercise for both the designer and the user. One

exa mple i s a gown designed by Norma Kamal i ,

exc l usively for e Bay. I t can be worn in severa l

d ifferent ways: boatneck, one-shou lder, strap

less, ha lter, and cross-ha lter eve n i ng gown, a l l i n

one . Be lted and b loused, t h e gown transforms

into a d ress for everyday. Some designers, such

as Karo l i n a Zma rlak, a re mak ing the concept of

convert ib le c loth ing a part of the i r brand D N A .

Ath l et ic garments a n d cloth ing meant for out

door activit ies often benefit from being versat i le

as we l l . Be ing ab le to pu l l a d rawstr ing, button on

a hood, or z ip off a pant leg a l lows the user to re

spond to a s i tuat ion in short order. The novelty of

these very pract ica l app l icat ions makes them a n

attractive design deta i l t o i n corporate into other

categor ies of fash ion . More often these adop

t ions a re more a bout aesthetics than funct ion .

Advances i n the sc ience of dyes inc l ude U V

reactive photochromic pai nts, which change

co lor in the sun and g low under a b lack l ight.

When these pai nts a re used i n th read, fab rics,

and beads, clothes can take on a l ife of their own

depend ing on thei r environ ment . I n the hands

of i n n ovator H usse i n Cha layan, the tech nol-

ogy of cha nge i s more complex . The designer's

co l l ect ion of transformer d resses pushed the

bounda ries of fa br icat ion with the help of the

London-based engineer ing f i rm 2 0 :30. Com

puter systems b u i lt into the garment mecha n i

ca l ly morphed i t i nto a d ifferent shape and style

without a ny externa l ass istance. I nter- in d u stry

partnersh ips l i ke th is one make it poss ib le for a

designer's creativity to reach new he ights.


If

,

Norma Kamal i convertible dress versions

� w " '" ::;; >-,. ,. w

� �

<->-" � w > w � � w a: >-m 0 ,. 0 I �

Left: Karol ina Zmarlak

convert ib le design versions

Below: A model wearing a

garment that transformed

into a different si l houette

using technology by designer

Hussein Chalayan, 2007

129

TECHN IQUE

6 2 Drawing the Eye

The designer i s i n the d r iver's seat when it comes

to mapping a path for the eye to t ravel . A sense

of movement can be ach ieved with repeat-

ing patterns as wel l as the variat ions in those

patterns that c reate rhythm. Action or i m pl ied

act ion i n the form of anyth ing that points in a

specif ic d i rection may use a graduat ion of s izes,

color, or i ntens ity. The fash ion designer can con

tro l where to place e lements that b lock o r push

in and a round the body. Emphas is w i l l dominate

the composit ion and a r rest attent ion . Eq ua l b i l l

ing cancels everyth i ng out; with n o foca l point,

the overa l l des ign is u n remarkab le . Carefu l ob

servat ion and met icu lous app l icat ion of potentia l

foca l points a l low designers to control the pu l se

of the i r design. Where does the eye l i nger? What

makes i t dart away?


Eddi Phi l l ips' silver cockta i l

dress uses color and

embel l ishment to create a

powerful focal point.

TECHN I Q U E

63 A-Symmetry

Sym metry and ba la nce a re not necessar i ly the

same th i ngs. Symmetry i s defi ned by s ides that

m i rror each other. I n th is case, the ba lance wou ld

be cons idered form a l . Symmet ry can a lso be

ach ieved th rough rad ia l ba lance where a l l e le

ments radiate from a central foca l point .

A n informal ba la nce can be found in design that

is asymmetr ica l, l i ke a one-shou ldered gown.

When one s ide does not ref lect the other, there

is a n a bsence of sym metry and a designer m ust

rely on i n st inct and exper ience to find the right

ha rmony. With each s ide working i ndependent ly,

it is i m portant to bu i l d re lat ionsh ips between the

d issim i l a r-vibrant color and neutra l co lo r; da rk,

l ight, and mid -tones; flat a n d th ree-d i m ens iona l ;

sma l l and la rge; a var iety of shapes; posit ion a n d

re lat ive p lacement; o r sol id and pattern .

Whether through sym metry o r asym metry, the

designer can d raw de l ibe rate attent ion to an a rea

by d i rect i ng the observer with a rrow-sha ped/

triangu lar objects. Z igzags a re a nother way to

take command of the v iewer. As a ru le, the b ias

can be a powerfu l tool beca use of the energy and

d isru ptive natu re of the d iagona l l i ne .

A test of ba lance i n sym metrica l or asymmetr ica l

garments i s to gauge how focused the observer's

attent ion is . If the viewer's eye travels a round the

piece, tak i ng i n the whole, there is a n ind icat ion

of ba lance. Even a see m i ngly chaoti c d i spersal of

deta i l s can ach ieve ba lance if there i s an overa l l

sense of u n ity. Many ba lanced cout u re com posi

t ions, but not a l l , tend to be visua l ly we ighted or

stab i l ized at the bottom of the piece.


Right: Pavlina G i lson layers

an asymmetrical design over

a symmetrical day dress.

Below: Maison Martin

Margiela vest featuring

leather straps, woven into an

asymmetrical pattern

Samira Vargas ensemble

TECHN I Q U E

6 4 Intarsia: Puzzles and Missing Links

Solving a mystery can be an i rresist ib le cha l

l enge-so much so that we w i l l c reate them

ou rselves to st i m u late our m i nds. Des igners can

use the pr inc iples of puzz le mak ing to test thei r

prob lem-solv ing sk i l l s . I f a des igner can success

fu l ly express h i s ideas i n a more complex fash ion ,

those intr icacies have the potent ia l to captivate

the i maginat ions of others. Patternma king is, in

essence, one b ig mathemat ica l puzzle .

The n onogram is a puzzle akin to mosaics, which

is the a rt of c reat i ng patterns and pictu res by as

sembl ing sma l l p ieces of colored mater ia l . Once

the des igner designates the part icu lar p lacement

of color, it becomes paint by n u m bers unt i l the

f ina l p icture is revea led. The process usua l ly

involves sq u a res or other specif ic geometr ic

sha pes, but a rch itect Antoni Gaud! used the

a ngles and c u rves he observed in nature to cre

ate h is very u n ique and o rga n i c mosaics . P ieced

work or patchwork is an examp le of how th is

techn ique can be a pp l ied to fabric.

Computer d isp lays e mploy the same pr inc ip les

of mosa ics, beca use th is med ium is based on

gr ids and ut i l i zes sma l l recta ngles of co lor ca l led

pixels to b u i l d d ig ita l images. Photomosaics is

an i nterest ing a lternative to this process, wh ich

uses photogra phs instead of so l id b locks of co lor.

To create m u lt ico lor patterns i n kn its, each new

color is i ntroduced by l i tera l ly tying i n a d ifferent

ya rn, but each stitch corresponds to the pixel

pr inc ip le . Th is techn ique i s ca l led i ntars ia . C l oth

is woven by interlac ing warp and weft th reads.

The combinat ion of specif ic weaving patterns

and carefu l ly chosen co lors can be used in much

the same way.

A designer can connect the dots for her aud i

ence o r intentiona l ly tease. P rovid i ng you with

a l l but one c lue, the q uest ion becomes "What is

X?" Obvious om iss ions a re ab le to b u i l d cu rios

ity around couture . Coded messages, and h idden

mea n i ngs, enterta i n a designer's a ud ience by

a l l owing them to so lve the c ipher.


Peter H idalgo d resses

TECHN I Q U E

65 The Reveal

D i rector Al fred H itchcock integrated a persona l

cameo a ppeara nce i nto h is fi lms . Car icaturist

AI H i rschfeld i ncorporated Nina, his da ughter's

na me, i nto most of h is d rawi ngs. Both became

a l m ost as famous for these ve i led gifts as for

the f ine work they produced. Software, m usic,

books, art, a n d te levis ion shows are just a few of

the media where " Easter eggs" can be h idden .

This l ong-stan d i ng t rad it ion of weavi ng i n specia l

h idden su rprises can a lso be found in fash ion ,

with d iscovery becoming as much a part of the

exper ience as the actua l c loth ing.

There a re some trad i t iona l target a reas for the

p lacement of a h idden treat. C lass ic s h i rts m ight

h ide them on the u nderside of the co l lar, the co l

lar sta nd, or the i ns ide cuff. Some sort of decora

tive deta i l m ight a l so be p laced on the sh i rtta i l .

Addressing t h e part of t h e tradit ion that req u i res

"someth ing b lue," a br ida l gown can be designed

to inc lude t iny b lue bows sewn i nto the l i n ing.

A s imp le summer d ress can make good use of a

contrasting fa br ic to face the neckl ine , a rmho le,

or hem of the garment, h i nt ing at someth ing

more p layfu l . The a m biguously p layfu l message

"Lucky You" can be found on a labe l p laced o n

t h e ins ide z ipper o f Lucky B rand jea ns .

Private moments a nd pub l i c d i sp lays of design

can be carefu l ly crafted i nto a ny garment . Lett ing

your hand s i nk i nto a pocket l i ned with the soft

est f leece is a persona l present from the designer

to the wearer. A f lashy l i n i ng in an otherwise

conservative su i t a l l ows the user to choose

when, where, and to whom he wishes to expose

h i s w i lder s ide to a rea l "Ta-da ! " moment .


Right: Jeff Lahens for ECC

Life & Style; undercollar

deta i l

Middle: Arnold Scaasi d ress

with matching coat l in ing

Below: Sara Marhamo cuff

l in ing detai l

Jeff Lahens for ECC Life &

Style; suit l ining detail

ARTI STRY

6 6 Cultivated Influence

Fash ion mavericks are commonly defi ned

by a s ingu l a r attr i bute: They fo l lowed the i r

own i n st incts regard less of the convent ions

of the i r t imes. Mar lene D i etr ich and Kather ine

Hepburn have become reference points for the

pant and men swea r- insp i red fash ions for wom

en- D ietrich in a top hat and ta i ls , and Hepburn

in casua l s u it i ng. In l ight of the h istory of pants

for women, these lad ies d isp layed a certa i n level

of fash ion bravery. Ame l ia Jenks B loomer, a n

ear ly advocate of women's r ights i n the U n ited

States, is known i n part for adopt ing the fash ion

of wearing loose t rousers gathered at the ank le .

Ahead of i ts t ime, the trend d id not last .

Wor ld Wa r I I made wear ing pa nts a pract ica l

necess ity for women who were working in fac

tories, but i t was not unt i l the 1 970s that s l acks

beca me a fas h ionable item to inc lude as part of

a woman's wardrobe. Designers tapped i nto the

Women 's Li beration M ovement, infus ing the ir

co l l ect ions with the a l l -empower ing pant , wh ich

had become yet a nother symbol of equa l ity

between the sexes.

There a re few contem porary exa m ples of s im i l a r

nonconformists. But there a re more theatr ical

fash ion renegades, such as Lady Gaga and Bjork,

who without q u est ion integrate fash ion as part

of the i r persona l it ies that a l so t rans lates to the i r

performances. The q u est ion for designers who

lean towa rd the rebe l l ious i s , "Which v is iona ries

of style inf l uence the essence of who you a re a s

a des igner?"


Right: Actress Marlene

Dietrich making her

Hol lywood fi lm debut as the

tuxedo-clad Amy Jo l ly in the

film Morocco, directed by

Josef von Sternberg, 1930

Far Right: Portrait of actress

Katharine Hepburn in slacks

o b I �

ARTI STRY

67 Curated Experience

I t's a b i rd ! I t's a p lane ! I t's a supermode l ! The

power of a fash ion concept can be traced

back to the most u nexpected of sources. Who

would have ever thought that an ent i re exh ib i

t ion exp lor ing the in f luences of superheroes on

fash ion would be the bas is for an exh ib it ion at

the M etropol i tan Museum of Art in N ew York?

The "Superheroes: Fash ion and Fa ntasy" exh ib i t

f i l tered fash ion t h rough the co lorfu l f ict ion of

comic books a nd graph ic novels . Beyond secret

ident it ies, the exh ib i t ion estab l ished specif ic

strategies for creat i ng superhero personas that

had a d i rect correlat ion to fash ion .

The fash ion tactics emp loyed i n c l uded us ing

gra ph ics to brand a superhero; wra ppi ng a hero

in the f lag to capita l ize on patr iot ism; supers iz ing

musc le to overemphas ize the mascu l ine o r femi

n i n e strength; the contrad ict ion of good and bad

exist i ng s imu ltaneously with in the same char

acter; add ing a protective layer of a rmor; h ow

aerodynamic design feeds the need for speed;

b reak ing with convent iona l standards of beauty;

heroes that morphed i nto human-an ima l hybrids;

and the i nt roduct ion of the a nt ihero, with a dark

er, gritt ier s ide that defied easy c lassif icat ion .

Th is wealth of resou rces was generated from

just one gen re . Approach ing fash ion design l i ke

a museum c u rator has the adva ntage of be ing

exposed to con nections that may not h ave been

obvious, and b u i ld i ng a concept a round that.


I n "Superheroes: Fashion

and Fantasy," the Costume

I nstitute at the Metropolitan

Museum of Art in New

York explores fashionable

superheroes. Outfits by

designer Bernhard Wil lhelm

and House of Moschino.

ARTI STRY

6 8 Culture Filter

Anyone who hears the word poncho has a n

immed iate i m age i n h e r m i n d o f what i t is . The

poncho was used very strategica l l y in Ugly Betty,

a te levis ion s itcom that revolved a round the fash

ion world and a Mexican Amer ican fa mi ly. H is

tor ica l ly, the poncho has never rea l l y been ab le

to ga i n a footho ld as a def in it ively fash ionab le

garment. but it does have a d i rect connect ion to

Mexican folk cu ltu re . One of the fi rst t imes the

character of Betty Suarez i s on-screen with i n the

context of the fash ion world, she is wear ing a

decidedly Mexican poncho. I f we weren 't certa i n

of its or igin , t h e word Guadalajara em blazoned

across the front of it i nforms us i m m ed iate ly.

There is a l so a n interplay with a very g lamorous

character who is wea ri ng a designer's i nterpre

tat ion of a poncho that br ings the point home

that Betty i s not sty l i sh . Used as a storytel l i ng

tool i n enterta i nment, a stereotype stradd les the

border between humor and good taste, and that

is exactly the same l i n e that designers m ust be

conscious of navigat ing when embrac ing cu l tura l

symbols a s part o f the i r concept.

Some designers shy away from incorporat ing

e lements from the i r own cu ltural background

beca use they fear be ing stereotyped. Others

avoid any d i rect cu ltura l references because they

can not see beyond the folk costume. A designer

m ust stretch, reach ing beyond the expected, but

not bypass the ethn ic and cu ltural sym bol ism

associated with the ga rment . Fash ion can use the

idea of a stereotype a s a sta rt ing point, and let

the idea evo lve into a completely new expression

of the source.


I nuit poncho from I ris Apfel

private col lection

America Ferrera stars

as Betty Suarez in ABC

Te levision's Ugly Betty.

o >o I �

ARTI STRY

6 9 More Is More

I f a designer i s ab le to synthesize a wide variety

of e lements into one garment, it has the poten

t ia l to be a must-have, goes-with-everyth ing

garment . This type of core ward robe item can

be used a s a founta i n head that branches out

into a b road col lect ion. But the designer m ust

approach the des ign of each item with a greater

understand ing of how it works with in the who le .

Th is addit ive process shou ld a lways enhance and

never overwhe lm, becau se the overa l l s i l houette

can eas i ly be com prom ised by bu lk .

Severa l strategies can be employed when assem

bl ing ensembles that i nvolve many layers:

• Base layers shou ld a lways be l ighter than those

on the next leve l .

• Concentrate on short over long, restr ict ing the

appl icat ion to j ust one a rea-tan ks over tees or

leggings over t ights, but not both .

• Control the v is ib le proport ions of each layer to

see the shape i t c reates, and a l low the eye to

fol low each layer.

• Select specia l i tems for the m ix that a re strong

enough to stand a lone .

• D raw attent ion to fa m i ly resem blances i n s i m i

la r item s and create the i l l us ion of fam i l i a r ity

with d iss i m i l a r ones.

• Mix day i n to even ing and br ing a l i tt le n ight

t ime g lamour into the day l ight.

• Coord i nate looks that a re comforta b le and

not forced.


Sara Marhamo design

ARTI STRY

7 0 Less Is More

Ockham's razor i s a pr inc ip le that means "A l l

th ings being equa l , the s imp lest so l ut ion is

usua l ly the r ight one ." As it relates to fash ion,

this ru le of thumb sets the tone for designers

who don't wish to embe l l i sh or compl icate the i r

work. Knowing when to stop i s not a lways easy.

A we l l -ed ited col lect ion need not be austere

and i s strengthened by the power of m in i ma l

ism. Des igners m ust resist the tem ptat ion to

add e lements i n o rder to d i sgu ise m i stakes-a

pitfa l l not uncommon a mong new des igners . Be

w i l l ing to start over. A designer shou ld be ab le to

create someth ing s imp le and restra i ned that is as

compel l ing as a more complex des ign .

Every des igner shou ld v iew h is work t h rough the

v isua l f i l ter of s imp l i c ity to avoid weigh ing ideas

down with u n n ecessa ry c lutter. C lear com pre

hens ion of the design cha l l enge at hand a l l ows

the des igner to emphasize the vital essentia ls .

Anyth ing that d istracts shou ld be revis ited and,

i n many i n stances, d iscarded. But how many

layers of design can be str ipped away without

com prom is ing the garment's funct iona l ity or

aesthetic va l u e? When i n doubt, l eave it out .


Minima list white d ress

by Donna Karan

o .... o I �

/ /

OJ.-' . .

ARTI STRY

7 1 Med itation on a Dress

Many sp i r i tua l a n d re l ig ious i nfl uences i n fash ion

a re rooted i n a ncient cu l tures and a re often

b rought to the ma instream by bold, v is ionary

trendsetters. For i n sta nce, Madonna i n it iated a

trend for wea ring cruc ifixes and rosary beads in

the 1 980s. Jean Pau l G a u lt ier showed a co l lect ion

in 1 993 that was i nspi red by the t rad it iona l gar

ments worn by Has id ic Jews. Rel ig ious iconog

raphy a lso p lays a big part i n fash ion . C h r ist ian

Lacro ix ended h is 2009 ha ute couture show

with a heav i ly e m b roidered gown that cou ld be

descri bed as a tr ibute to the Virg in Mary.

I nternat iona l ly recogn ized figu res such a s the

Da la i Lama expose the g lobe to a way of l ife and

d ress that people m ight not otherwise be aware

of. One examp le is the saffron robes of Ti betan

Buddh ists. A long the same l i n es, m a ny websites

a re devoted to H ija b-fr iend ly fash ion for M us l im

women who w ish to express the i r faith without

i n h i b it ing their fash ion sense. Explor ing rel ig ion

through fash ion can be seen as a tr ibute to a l l the

mea n i ngfu l tradit ions, r ich h istory, and beautifu l

a rtwork a ssociated with rel ig ion .


His Hol iness the 14th Dalai

Lama in Tokyo, 2009

A model wearing a haute

couture gown with distinctive

religious references by

designer Christian Lacroix,

2009

ARTI STRY

7 2 Building on Basics

Tried-and-true basics may feel l i ke fa l l back items

in fash ion , but garments i n th is category exist

beca use everyone understands and apprec iates

the i r va lue . Staple garments a re not an easy o ut,

beca use they actua l ly pose greater cha l l enges for

the designer. Coming up with someth ing com

pletely d i fferent i s often easier than putt ing your

stam p on a c lass ic .

The l i t t le b lack d ress is a garment that most

women own or have owned d u ring the i r l i fe

t i me-it never goes out of sty le . It has been at

the center of everyth ing from museum exh ib i

t ions to morn i ng-show m a keovers. The f i rst

associat ion most people make regard i ng the

l i tt le b lack d ress is through the f i lm Breakfast at

Tiffany's in which Audrey Hepburn wea rs one

des igned by H u be rt de G ivenchy. I n fact, i t i s

Gabr ie l le Coco C ha ne l 's work i n the 1 920s that

i s c redited as the or ig in of the modern-day l itt le

b lack d ress. Vogue cal led it "Chane l 's Ford," refer

r i ng to the Model T, wh ich was a lso designed

to be s imp le and accessib le . One of its most

redeeming q u a l it ies is the a b i l ity to accessorize

it to su it any occas ion . For men, the tuxedo is

a fash ion stap le for forma l occas ions, though

most men don't actua l ly own one. Defi n i ng the

basics that a designer w i l l i nc lude in her body of

work req u i res as m uch, if not more, research and

deve lopment i f the designer wants her v is ion to

be m emorab le .


British actor and comedian

Cary G rant in a tuxedo, 1953

A model wearing a sequined

l ittle black d ress at a Marc

Jacobs fashion show, 2010

ARTI STRY

7 3 Design of Dissent

Rebels have a lways inf l uenced fash ion . By

today's stand ards, the f lapper look of the 1920s

is charm i ng and ch ic . Nostalgia now c louds

how women who epitom ized that look were

perceived, such as Louise B rooks and C l a ra Bow,

who were the bad gir ls of the i r day. Rebe l l ious

and reck less, these gir ls bobbed the ir ha ir a n d

wore fl imsy d resses that exposed t h e i r knees a n d

ba red the i r arms.

Jean H a rlow, Mae West, Joan C rawford, a n d

Bette Davis person if ied t h e sloe-eyed vam p of

the 1 930s who b roke with convent iona l mora l s

and brandished overt sexua l ity i n s l inky sat in

gowns . Actresses such as La na Turner, Virg in ia

M ayo, and Barbara Stanwyck b rought the fem m e

fata le o f t h e 1 940s t o l i fe i n fi l m no i r.

The u ndercu rrent of the very conservative 1 950s

was part teenager, part Beat Generat ion, and

part "rebel without a cause." Jeans and leather

jackets were the major fash ion inf luence of icons

such a s James Dean and Mar lon B ra ndo. H i pp ie

fash ions of the 1 960s were heavi ly i n fl uenced by

a bohemian l ifesty le and the mus ic of performers

such as Joan Baez and Jon i M itche l l . P u n k i s one

of the most aggressive a nt i fash ion m ovements.

I n the 1 970s, infamous performers such as

Johnny Rotten and Sid Vic ious of the Sex Pistols

were d ressed by Vivienne Westwood, who in

corporated BDSM gea r, safety p ins, razor b lades,

and sp iked dog co l l a rs into her fas h ions.

In d i rect contra st to s l ick power d ress ing in

the 1 9 8 0s, street fash ion and de l i berately torn

c loth ing beca me the a lternative fash ion , heavi ly

inf luenced by pop stars M adonna and C indy

La uper. The 1980s a lso i n it iated the start of

Goth, wh ich has d ive rs ified over the yea rs to

inc lude everyth i ng from h orror to h igh fash ion .

Function trum ped form i n gru nge fash ions of the

1 990s, popu larized by the Seattle mus ic scene,

and in part icu la r, Ku rt Coba in . Layers of baggy,

u n kempt p la id f lanne l s h i rts, charity shop f inds,

cardigans, and combat boots com prised the look.

Fash ion designers m ust be in touch with the

fr inges of fash ion . Who a re the outs iders of

today that m ight be defin i ng our era?


Goth-infl uenced style

Grunge-influenced style

ARTI STRY

74 Attitude Adjustment

Clothes do m a ke the man, or the woman, when

they are part of the storyte l l i ng process on stage

or on-screen . Ward robing successfu l ly for f i lm

or the theater requ i res that each character i s

profi led accurately. For a costu mer, understand

ing the character's h istory, psychology, c i rcum

stances, a n d environment i s as i m portant as a

fash ion designer's grasp of a c l ient's l i festy le .

Both rely on exce l lent powers of observat ion .

Fash ion tel l s a story a s we l l . That ta le is a hybrid

of the designer's vis ion a n d the wea rer's interests

and eccentr ic it ies .

Many h igh-profi l e models b u i l d a career by

estab l i sh ing a d ist inct look that designers want

to a l ign themse lves with, but models that a re

ab le to be chame leons w i l l be va lued for the i r

ab i l ity to tra nsform i nto the idea l of a ny c l ient . U ber-versat i l e supermodels of the 1 980s, such

as L inda Eva nge l ista, were known a s cha meleons.

They m ade good use of cosmetics, ha i rsty les,

and clothes to t ransform the i r appea ra nce in any

fash ion fantasy.

Fash ion designers often cite fi l m s and actors a s

sources o f t h e i r i nspi ration . W h y not weave a

story, based on a f i lm o r mot ivated by characters,

into the fabr ic of a co l l ection? Who is the muse

du jour? What i s she doing? Where is she go ing?

H ow w i l l she express herself? Gett ing i nto her

head a l l ows the designer to adjust a n d adapt the

deta i l s of h i s work so that i t h i nts at the sou rce,

but to avo id c l iches, the designer must be ab le to

pu l l the i l l us ion i nto the context of rea l ity.


Above: Model Linda

Eva ngelista in Chanel haute

couture, 2003

Right: Costume designs from

the show United States of

Tara are a part of an exhibit

of nom i nees for a 2009

Emmy Award in the category

of Outstanding Television

Costume Design at the

Fashion I nstitute of Design

and Merchandising (F IDM)

Museum & Ga l leries. The

title character suffers from

dissociative identity d isorder � "

and each costume represents �

one of her personalities. � � o � ,.. z :0 � co ,.. � o .... o I �

,

-"' I

155

ARTI STRY

7 5 Myths and Archetypes

Accord ing to Amer ican mythologist Joseph

Cam pbel l . explor ing myths i s about more than

the q uest for mea n i ng. It is fou nded in the des i re

to a l ign ou rse lves with experiences that resonate

most with our true se lves .

Fash ion p lays a major ro le i n the defin it ion of any

u n iversal a rchetype. When rom a nt ic iz ing the

g ir l next door, what types of characterist ics a re

attr ibuted to her? How do virtue, wholesome

ness, and pu r ity translate i nto the design deta i l s

and make her immed iately recognizable? Her

ident ity m ight be sum med u p by modest s i l hou

ettes that suppress her sexua l ity, combined with

fresh , br ight, ha ppy colors a n d sweet deta i l s such

as buttons a nd bows. Snap judgments may be

t i mesavers, but there is a downside. You're left

with gener ic, prefabr icated l abe ls with l itt le o r

no depth . W h o wants t o r u n off carbon copies of

someone else's idea l? The tr ick to us ing type

cast ing in fash ion design is to do it creatively, to

m i x i t up. What k ind of fash ion do you get when

you shuff le the t raits of the Earth mother and

fem me fata le? Or the damse l i n d ist ress and the

tr ickster? In fash ion , there a re ce rta i n ly many

shades of style.


Tough = Leather

Soft = Ruffled Florals

o b I �

-

ARTI STRY

7 6 Wit

Can funny be fash ionab le? I t i s safe to assume

that Jean-Cha r les de Caste l bajac has a sense

of h u mor. M a king c loth ing comica l i s at the

heart of much of h is work. E lsa Sch iapare l l i and

Franco Mosch ino certa i n l y had an appreciat ion

for wh i msy and the r id icu lous. These i m pish

designers endeavored to a muse and d id not take

fash ion too ser ious ly. Where i s i t sa id that a fash

ion designer cannot produce beaut ifu l work that

is a l so witty?

Fas h ion with a sense of humor can a lso make

a statement . L ike any good editor ia l cartoon ,

fash ion can become a veh ic le for de l iver ing

socia l or pol i t ica l messages. A coat made out of

teddy bears m ight be tak ing a sat i r ica l stab at the

eth ics of us ing fur i n fash ion . The conscient ious

fash ion designer makes a personal choice a bout

which a bsurd it ies and a buses she m ight wish to

poke fun at.

H u mor doesn 't a lways have to be charged with

mea n i ng. Sometimes the only motivation beh ind

inject ing couture with a l itt le comedy i s the

promise of a good laugh .


Above: A model wears a

Lego-inspired design by

French designer Jean-Charles

de Castelbajac, 2008.

Right: Sebastian Errazuriz's

teddy bear jacket

ARTI STRY

7 7 Blackouts and Ful l Immersion

I n th i s age of i nformat ion over load, sched u l i ng

b locks of t ime when every channe l has been

turned off i s essentia l to a designer's process-a

self- imposed b lackout. Downt ime provides the

t ime and space needed to edit and d iscard the ir

re levant, maki ng room for the next inf lux of data .

Th is doesn't mean that a designer should c loister

h i mse l f complete ly. Periods of rest can i nc l ude

b reak ing with the rout ine a n d f ind ing a lternative

sti m u lat ion in u n re lated a n d unfa m i l i a r subjects.

Recharging is we l l served when the creat ive m i nd

is cha l l enged i n uncharted terr itory.

When a designer i s ready to step back i nto the

current, he can sta nd st i l l and let it c rash aga i nst

h i m or he can r ide the wave. The fi rst i s a "see

what sticks" k ind of a pproach- looking for

creative tr iggers in t rends that a re relevant to h i s

work. A des igner who i s looking to r ide the wave

m ust be ready to i m merse h i m se lf.

A fash ion designer a l so needs to f ind a p lace

to test the waters, respect the e nvironment of

the i ndustry, and stay in h i s league unt i l he is

prepa red to p lay with the big boys. A designer

who i s ded icated w i l l keep paddl ing unt i l he fee ls

the swe l l, and knows it's t ime to pop up and r ide

the wave.


Ful l fashion immersion

Va 1111.

161

ARTI STRY

7 8 Representation and Abstraction

Extra ! Extra ! Read a l l a bout i t ! The written word

wraps itself around fas h ion, l i tera l ly. The d i rect

appl icat ion of text to text i l e a l l ows fash ion to be

an i nstru ment that conveys thoughts, phrases,

and powerf u l messages. Designers select

content to expl ic it ly represent what they wish

to express o n the i r ga rments . Pages borrowed

from books o r newspapers, fragments of sheet

mus ic, magaz ine covers, or the handwritten word

w i l l speak vol u mes when i t adorns what w i l l be

worn . The reprod uct ion of a rt a nd photographs

as text i les for fash ion is a med i u m that gets bet

ter with technological advances. N ew methods

a l low designers to capture the m i nutest deta i ls .

With i n severa l co l lect ions, designer Ra lph Rucc i

has a rtfu l ly transferred both pai nt ings of h is

own and photographs to fa br ic . Des ign ing with

images is at its best when the translat ion is not

obvious. Figu res that exceed the bounda ries of

the garment, becom ing a bstracted by the i r sheer

scale and posit ion, set the scene for d iscovery

a moment when the observer real izes there i s

more there than meets the eye.


Jessica Lee designs featuring

a newspaper print fabric

A model wearing a gown

featuring a photo print fabric

by Chado Ra lph Rucci, 2010

o >o I �

ARTI STRY

7 9 Symbols

The most common use of symbols i n fash ion to

day is the graph ic T-sh i rt . Beyond those that a re

a bout b latant ma rket ing, there is a t remendous

market for garments i n th is category, wh ich a l low

the wea rer to express herself. N i ke's "J ust do

it ." was at the forefront of b ig name b rands that

created a lternat ives to the convent iona l wisdom

of the day-slap your logo on every conceivable

surface. Tag l i nes, mean ingfu l messages, c lever

quotes, provocative i mages, and e ndear ing mas

cots can speak to the m essage beh ind the brand

better than just a l ogo ever cou ld .

These carefu l ly crafted gra ph ics a re the con

tem pora ry eq u iva lent of a fa m i ly crest, a coat

of a rms, or the J apanese fam i ly badges ca l led

kaman. Although they a re a l l now apprec iated

for the i r beauty, each part of the des ign actu-

a l ly means someth ing. A customer who adopts

a des igner's motto or sym bol ism is mak ing a

fa r greater contr ibut ion to the growth of the

b rand than s imply mak ing a sa le . He i s f ly ing the

b ra nd's f lag every t ime he wears it . A customer

often a l igns h imself with these pictogra ms o r

ideogra m s beca use they a re u n iq ue; there is

i nstant recognit ion ; they accurately represent the

b ra nd; and they often become an a lternate mark

or s ignature that em bodies the message of the

company as strongly as its logo does.


Phrase T: "No autographs"

Business T: Zaftigs Del icatessen

Political T: Barack Obama's presidential campaign

Destination T: Beet lebung of Martha's Vineyard

Band T: Rol l ing Stones

Concert T: Pearl Jam Tour

Museum T: Cooper-Hewitt National Design

Museum 'Fashion in Colors' exhibit

C harity T: Marc Jacobs' for skin cancer awareness

Nostalgia T: Woodstock

School T: U niversity of Kansas mascot

the Jayhawk

Memorial T: Dropkick Murphys' tribute

to Greg "Chicken man" Riley

Cause T: Yoko Ono for Fashion

Aga inst A I DS at H&M

165

ARTI STRY

8 0 Dynamics

When i t comes to da nce, the space that conta i ns

it can be considered a bla n k ca nvas, wh i le the

da ncer who moves t h rough it i s l i ke a brush. Each

movement is s i m i l a r to a brush stroke of energy

across it. Keep ing that in mind , a designer can

v i rt u a l ly pa int movement i f he considers h ow

h i s garments w i l l become a n extens ion of each

gesture the wea rer w i l l make.

The s i l houette of a sk i rt w i l l change d ramat ica l ly

once the weare r begi ns to move. Wi l l that shape

restr ict m ovement? H ow f lex ib le i s the fab ric ,

and does it respond to the extens ion and con

traction of m usc le grou ps? Does a long hanging

s leeve create the i l l us ion of longer arms? When

the h i ps suddenly twist, d o the yards of fabr ic i n

a c i rc u l a r sk i rt w h i p around the body? H a s the

sheer volume of that sk i rt become an extension

of the choreogra phy? Through modern dance,

choreographer Martha G raham uses the body

of the dancer to p u l l the fa bric of a garment i nto

bold, expressive shapes.

Color i s a v ita l part of how dynamic a m ovement

is perceived to be. The same gesture and the

same garment m ight suggest completely d i ffer

ent th i ngs in d i fferent co lors . A v ibrant red m ight

push the perception of power. Rendered in wh ite

it might be described in softer, gent ler terms.

Texture plays a b ig part i n how sharp o r soft the

movem ent of a garment ca n be. The trad it iona l

tutu i s constructed to reta i n i ts rigid form wh i l e

the l onger " romant ic tutu" is meant to be f l u id .

The same dance i s expressed d ifferently depend

ing on which form is chosen.

Dance, l i ke fash ion , often reflects a certa in

period, cu l ture, a n d t rad it ion . The designer who

understands th i s and a lso recognizes that both

a re nonverba l forms of com m u n icat ion is a b l e

t o a nt ic ipate a n d i ncorporate m ovement into

h is works. The designer m ust a lso take steps to

understand how much stress a ga rment must

endure based on how people w i l l move i n it, to

be s u re that the mater ia l s and construct ion a re

up to the job.


Above: Classica l ballet tutu

at the Boston Ballet

Right: Romantic bal let tutu at

the Boston Bal let

Martha G raham Dance

Company performance in

Berlin, 2008

167

ARTI STRY

8 1 Trompe L'Oei l

I n some ways, fash ion has a lways been smoke

and m i rrors. Every deta i l of fash ion can be

man ipu lated to fa bricate a bel ievab le fa<;:ade.

With a h i story of m isd i rect ion, it's not s u rp ris ing

that fash ion designers a l so p lay with perception

and rea l ity to create optical tr icks for completely

aesthet ic reasons . Many of those i l l us ions can be

appl ied to the surface or woven i n to a text i le .

Atmosphere

Aeria l o r atmospher ic perspective i s the place

ment and s ize of objects, the va l u e of co lor, or

the use of h igh l ights and shadows to produce the

i l l us ion of three d imens ions on a f lat s u rface.

Convergence

Converging l i nes create the i l l us ion of a shape

that i s d im in i sh i ng i nto the d istance.

Distortion

Sometim es ca l led the "Cafe Wa l l " i l l us ion, paral

le i l i nes can be d i storted by out l i n ing offset rows

of b lack and wh ite squares in gray.

Face

H u man be ings a re hard-wired for face recogn i

t ion , so a ny configu rat ion that c losely resembles

the p lacement of fac ia l featu res seems to be

star ing back at us .

Illusory Contour

Objects that are configured i n such a way that

their borders create the i l l us ion of a nother shape

tr ick the b ra i n i nto i m posing the perception of a n

object onto what i s actua l ly negative space.


Ouchi Illusion

A c i rc le with a pattern on the c ross-gra i n, w i th in

a square that p laces the same pattern on the

lengthwise gra in , creates the i l l us ion that each

i s f loat ing independent ly of the other. I t i s n a med

after the Japanese op art ist H aj i me Ouch i .

Penrose Triangle

The i mposs ib le tr iangle, or the tr ibar, is a shape

that cou ld not exist i n the rea l world and was

i nsp i red by the work of a rt ist Escher.

Pointillism

Use of points of d ifferent colors that a re set s ide

by s ide to generate the i l l us ion of a nother color

was a techn ique used by a rt ist Georges Seurat .

Stroop

The Stroop effect i s a cognit ive v isua l i l l u s ion

that creates a confl ict i n the bra i n when the

words used to identify p igments a re rendered in

d i fferent colors.

Stroop effect bag

Convergence Distortion Stroop effect

I l lusory contour Ouchi i l lusion Face

Atmosphere Pointi l l ism Penrose triangle

169

ARTI STRY

8 2 Space and Sculpture

Cloth ing can be scu l pted to conform to the shape

of the body o r b u i lt to c reate a bstract spaces

between the garment and the wearer. When the

des igner scu l pts to reflect the natural shape of

the body it speaks to t rad it iona l E u ropean ta i lor

ing, an art form in itse lf when done we l l . Th is

d isc ip l ine re l ies o n tec h n iques that subdue the

text i le, i n o rder to make i t f it .

Less common is the exploration of how d ifferent

shapes relate to the h u m a n form. This process is

both conceptual and organ ic . The characteristics

of each sha pe, as we l l as the mater ia ls , i n form

the designer a s to how it m ight be man ipu lated

independent of the body.

I t can be done with every conceivab le shape.

One example would be the use of c i rc les or

r ings. When they a re appl ied horizonta l ly to a

design they can e m u late the re lat ionsh ip that

the r ings of Saturn have to the p lanet itself.

They completely surround the object at its cen

ter, but rema in independent of the same form.

I ssey M iya ke takes i t a step fu rther, c reating a

k ind of ki net ic scu lptu re. I n one of h i s creations,

a lternat ing s izes of those ri ngs are connected to

m i m ic horizontal accord ion p leat i ng. The natu re

of struct u re int roduces m ovement i nto the gar

ment that seems to a l most float, at t imes even

bounce, as it sk ims a body i n motion . C i rc les can

a lso be used to create a un ique t h ree-d imen

s iona l su rface treatment. a s i n Va lent ino's p i n k

bubb le scu lpture.


Model wearing dress from

Issey Miyake's Ready-to

Wear Col lection, 1 994

Model wearing a pink

ensemble by haute couture

designer Valentino, 2007

ARTI STRY

8 3 Matters of Size: Addressing Curves

The term ino logy that is used to descr ibe a wom

an with generous c u rves const i tutes a ref lect ion

of how the observer perceives those proport ions.

By today's fash ion sta ndards, someone with a fu l l

figu re, l i ke Mar i lyn Monroe, would b e considered

fat, but wou ld anyone rea l ly use that term to

descr ibe her? A designer m ight even f ind i nsp i ra

t ion in the descr iptors. Vo l u ptuous m ight imp ly

sensua l i ty. Rubenesq ue cou ld s uggest a leve l of

rom a nt ic ism, wh i le zaftig captures a sense of

persona l ity as wel l as s ize.

Throughout h i story, society has both condem ned

and celebrated a body of generous proport ions .

Theories suggest that cu l ture, po l it ics, and

econom ics a l l p lay a part i n what is accepted to

be beaut ifu l and i n fash ion . I n the West Afr ican

cou ntry of M a ur itania , a p lump figu re i s preferred.

Gavage, or fatten i ng, wh ich st i l l ta kes p lace in th is

region, i s just as da ngerous a s anorex ia . H i story

shows that d u ring t imes when women enjoyed

greater freedoms, such as the 1 920s and 1 960s,

fem i n i ne attr i butes such as the bust l i ne and the

h i ps were deemphasized. Economic prosper ity i s

a lso thought to inf luence fas h ion norms, with th in

be ing i n d u ri ng good t imes and bigger frames be

ing more preva lent d u ring cha l leng ing t imes .

H igh-profi le, c u rvaceous ce lebr it ies cont inue

to make str ides in b u i ld ing an appreciat ion for

beauty in a l l s izes. Q ueen Latifah (Dana Owens)

is not on ly a h igh-profi le enterta iner in the mus ic

and fi l m industr ies, she is a lso a spokesperson for

Cover G i r l . Emme, whose rea l name is Me l i ssa

Aronson, made a name for herself as a p lus-

s ize model . H e r success has a d i rect corre la-

t ion to consumers' des i re to see a ref lect ion of

themselves on the ru nway, i n pr i nt, and over the

a i rwaves.

There a re un ique cha l lenges when des ign ing for

fu l l e r-figure women, beca use the struct u re of the

c loth ing must f i t and f low properly for comfo rt

and movement . Fou ndation garments can be

bu i l t i nto a garment to provide su pport whi le a l so

strea m l i n i ng the shape of the wearer. L i n i ngs

a l low the fash ion fabr ic to sk im the f igure and

move freely without c l i ng ing u nattractively to the

body. Design deta i l s can a lso be sca led to keep in

proport ion to the overa l l s i l houette.


Model Emme unveils the

fu l l-figured Emme Dol l at

FAO Schwarz in New York

City, 2002.

Actress Queen Latifah arrives

at the 81st Annual Academy

Awards, 2009.

ARTI STRY

8 4 Dressing for Bowie

I s the goa l of the designer to d raw the observer

in gently a n d q u ietly? Shou ld the sound of fash

ion be somewhere i n the m idd le, ne i ther here

nor there, just background n oise? O r does the

occasion ca l l for turn ing up the vo l u m e i n order

to attract k indred sp i rits?

W h i le fash ion makers shou ld be at the contro ls

when deve lop i ng the clothes, it i s the consum

ers who wi l l decide h ow loud they dare to be.

Designers a re advised to keep in m i nd that

psychology is a lways i n p lay when push ing the

envelope, so they shou ld be ready to address any

issues with the c l ient . In a story about her love

of fash ion and m us ic, sty l ist and a rt i st N a ncy

H a rt passes on words of wisdom that a friend

once shared with her about be ing true to your

voice and you r fas h ion sense. The essence of the

message came in the form of a q uest ion . "Who

a re you d ress ing for-your bank te l ler o r David

Bowie?" The a n swer for her was clear: " I a m

d ressi ng for Bowie !"

David Bowie i s a great exa m ple of the strength

of the con nection between fash ion and m us ic.

Through many fas h ion i ncarnat ions, from Z iggy

Stard ust to present day, he has inf luenced style,

a long the way insp i r ing others to express them

selves. Everyone seems to have a pictu re i n her

head of who she bel ieves she is and what she

wishes to look l i ke . Fash ion provides the too ls to

act on creat ing that v is ion , whi le m us ic ians and

other h igh-prof i le f igures who em brace the ir per

sona l sty le stand as exam ples of how reward ing

i t is to do j u st that . A des igner m ust ask h i m self,

"Who a nd how a m I looking to inf luence?" a n d

"Who does m y customer identify with?"


David Bowie in Wembley,

London

� I 0 --< 0 � " � � os: z ;: » N C � ::; i:: � » C> �

175

ARTI STRY

8 5 Objects of Art

Very few a rt ists who work with fa bric compare

with C h ri sto and Jeanne-C laude. The G ates

and other p rojects l i ke it set the standard when

i t comes to a rt for a rt's sake. In add it ion to the

rationa le beh ind these acts of art the daunt ing

scale and the f i n ite period of t ime i n wh ich t hey

exist make them both one of a k ind a n d once i n

a l i fet ime . What can t h e fash ion des igner take

from th is?

Most designers would be hard-pressed to make

th is a way of l ife, but engaging i n the a rt of fash

ion w i th pure intent ions can become the cata lyst

for a host of va l uab le resu lts, inc lud ing aesthetic

explorat ions and sta rt ing d ia logues with other

designers.

What a re the cr iter ia for judging someth ing

a work of a rt? Does it e l ic i t a n emotiona l re

sponse? Does i t c h a l le nge the observer to look at

the world in a d i fferent way? Is it s imp ly bea ut i

fu l? When i t comes to the a rt of fash ion, the on ly

confl ict with the t rad i t iona l defin it ion of f i ne a rt

is that a garment no matter how extraord inary,

does serve a pu rpose beyond just being a rt .


The Gates by Christo and

Jeanne-Claude (1979-2005)

N AVIGATION

8 6 A Designer's Inheritance

I t's never too ear ly to be th ink ing a bout the

futu re, specifica l ly the passing o n of a creative

mantle-a fash ion designer's last w i l l and testa

ment . The motivation beh ind such an exercise

m ight be based in the desire to qua nt ify the va l u e

o f the b rand beyond do l lars and cents. I t a lso

he lps to ensure that the vis ion w i l l cont i n u e i n

the event of a t ra n sfer of power. Many compa

n ies reach a point when it becomes more l ucra

t ive to the designer to make a sa le and move on ,

rather than re ma in ing i n charge.

Records, press c l ippings, and reference resou rces

shou ld be col l ected and stored by a l i brar ian .

Cata l ogs serve to document a designer's h istory

of col lect ions a n d spec ia l projects. Arch ives ben

ef it from the curator's perspective regard ing the

preservat ion and storage of he i rloom garments

based on their c u lt u ra l and h istor ica l s ign ifi

cance. A b rand b ib le w i l l ensure cons istency

and preserve the i ntegrity of the brand. The on ly

other th ing to cons ider is an he i r apparent who

wou ld be ab le to take the reigns .

Designers who a re not yet in a posit ion to be

t h i n king a bout th is for themse lves can begin

to study the legac ies of other des igners as a

source of gu idance .

From Coco to Karl : The

history behind the House

of Chanel is one of the best

examples of a successful long

term legacy of fashion.


, \

" \ . . .

N AV IGATION

8 7 Luxury Washing

The concept of l u x u ry provides t h ree rewards,

however fl eet ing they may be:

• A sense of power: c lass-driven prod ucts or

encou nters that bu i l d boundar ies between u s

a n d them

• A sense of com m u n ity: item s and events that

a l l ow us to be long to a part ic u l a r soc ia l group

• A sense of p leasure : goods and exper iences

that st i m u l ate, i ndu lge, and comfort

The word luxury is i n danger of los ing a l l mea n i ng

if you be l ieve that every company that ca l l s itself

a l uxury brand rea l l y is one . At f i rst g lance, it

seems l i ke an abuse of the term, but the defin i

t ion of l u x u ry is a lways subject ive, especia l ly as

i t perta i n s to fash ion . S i nce l u x u ry is u l t im ately

in the eye of the beholder, many th ings in f luence

our characterizat ion of i t : standard of l iv ing, sup

ply and demand, o r except iona l l y d ist inctive.

Competing in a market satu rated with cla i m s of

l uxur iousness, a designer has a great adva ntage

if she has a rea l ist ic u ndersta nd ing of where i n

t h e spectrum o f l uxury her product o r service

stands. This a l so app l ies to her customers . A re

they asp i rationa l? O r i s l u x u ry a basel i n e sta n

dard for her c l ient? Fur, for exam ple, is both a

coveted and controversia l commod ity. When and

how is i t a necessity? I s it a symbol of a s u m p

tuous l i festyle or of a n excessive o ne? A c lear

defi n it ion of what merits the luxe labe l provides

a kind of protect ion for a designer. H e r c l a ims

a re less at r isk of being cha l l enged i f they a re

presented in the appropriate context.

Luxe warn i ng: The l uxury trap comes in the form

of "the em peror's new c lothes" : b l i nd accep

tance. The natu re of the fash ion business i s to

intent iona l l y perpetuate a cyc le in which th i ngs

come i n and out of favor, a rb itrar i ly increas ing o r

decreas ing t h e desi re for them. Wi l l the con

sumer, a nd i n some cases the designer, defer to

the unspoken contract between the i ndustry, the

med ia , and the p u b l ic to agree on what l u x u ry is

at any given t ime? I f i t i s genera l ly accepted to

be the standard , who wi l l the leaders be, who wi l l

fo l l ow, and who wi l l rebel?


Luxe costume jewelry

Viktor & Rolf fur coat, 2006

N AVIGATION

8 8 Copies Degrade

The M usee de la Contrefac;:on i n Par is i s replete

with d i sp lays of counterfeit coutu re and every

other type of fa ux luxury item worthy of coveting.

The exh ib its a re curated to clear ly compare the

origina l s w i th the forger ies, and there is no short

age to choose from in the marketp lace . At fi rst

glance, the novelty of a knockoff and the consid

erably lower pr ice tag may be ent ic ing, but these

crude facs i m i l es don 't l ive up to expectat ions .

There a re a few t h i ngs that consumers shou ld

consider when buying a luxury i tem:

• Point of sa le : Is the p u rchase through a repu

tab le department store or o n a street corner?

• Packaging: Is it consistent w ith the promise of

the b rand?

• Price: Are you gett ing what you pay for?

I m itat ions a re m is represent ing the brand, and

therefore a re i l lega l . Any product that assumes

the ident ity of a b rand i s a l so deva l u i ng the

origina l work. B ig companies have recourse, but

the l ive l i hood of sma l l e r operat ions is t h reat

ened when the i r ideas a re m i sappropriated.

Cit ies a round the world a re cracking down on

the purveyors of fa lse fash ions, confiscating and

destroyi ng them. Reflecting o n which materi a l s,

techn iq ues, and fi n i sh i ng touches a re incorpo

rated into a design w i l l he lp to make the design

h a rder to dup l icate, resu lt ing in a product that is

not profitab le to dup l i cate.


Genuine and counterfeit

bags are disp layed at the

Musee de la Contrefa<;:on in

Paris. The museum serves

to highl ight the impact that

fake items have both on

the producers of authentic

products in regard to

consumers and the wider economy, and on general

health and safety issues.

N AV IGATION

8 9 Platforms

To be prepared when opportun ity knocks, a de

signer shou ld a lways be bu i ld ing a platform with

and around his work. Authent ic exper iences and

va luab le excha nges a re a b ig part of cu lt ivating a

loyal fa n base. H igh-ca l iber con n ect ions put the

des igner i n a pos it ion to energize and activate

that a ud ience when needed.

Before embark ing on the deve lopment of a com

pl icated com m u n icat ion network, choices need

to be made regard ing which out lets best a l ign

with the goa ls of the designer : a webs ite, socia l

media , project partners h ips, b logs, l ive events,

te levis ion a ppeara nces, relevant products, w rit

ing books, a uthored magaz ine art ic les, speaking

engagements, work exper ience, and teach ing

opport u n it ies . The designer shou ld a l so esta b

l i sh a n d pr ior it ize h i s va l ues, because shared

ideals forge strong bonds between h i m a nd h is

constituents. These systems a l low the fash ion

designer to add va lue by encouraging i nteractiv

ity; i nvolving h i s a ud ience t h rough regu la r up

dates, mobi l iz ing the masses with ca l l s to act ion,

reward ing loya lty, and extend ing the persona l ity

of the brand .

t o h a e t y l e h o w . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . , . , . . , . , . . . . . i a a rn i z ra h i

How to Have Style

by Isaac Mizrahi, 2008


Isaac Mizrahi uses a segment

ca l led "Sketches & Answers" to

sketch out answers to audience

questions about style.

.: .

Isaac Mizrahi presents

The Adventures of Sandee

the Supermodel. 1997 S&S

Editions Comic Book Series. Artwork by Wil l iam Frawley

"Absohllely �AnI Wdedy FUliny'"

. ..

tJNZiPr£J5 -- �

Unzipped DVD of

1995 documentary

by Douglas Keeve

Business Week magazine

dubbed Isaac Mizrahi a "one

man brand," which describes

his exceptional talent for

translating his vision and

style across a wide variety

of platforms. I n addition to

a documentary, a series of

comic books, and a book on

personal style, he designed

a diffusion col lection for

Target; served as creative

d i rector for Liz Claiborne;

designs products for QVC;

hosts reality show, The

Fashion Show, on Bravo TV;

communicates with fans via

a dai ly video-blog, Facebook,

and Twitter; hosts the web

show, WATC H I SAAC.com;

and was among the first

generation of designers to

l ivestream his fashion runway

shows on l ine. He was also

the costume designer for

stage revivals of The Women

(2001), Barefoot in the Park

(2006), the operetta, Three

Penny Opera (2006), and

the Metropolitan Opera's

production of Orfeo ed

Euridice (2008).

N AV IGATION

9 0 Label Maker

Part of the fash ion design process i nvolves how

information about the ga rments you create w i l l

be s h a red with you r customer. There a re laws

regard i ng how c loth ing m ust be labe led . In the

U n ited States, the Federal Trade Comm iss ion

req u i res that most text i le and wool products

c lea rly ident ify f iber content, country of or i -

g in , and brand o r man ufact u rer, and that those

labels be securely fastened. They can be sewn

in or i roned on. A label pr i nted d i rectly onto the

garment ca n end up as part of the design. The

percentages of f iber content for each component

of the garment-body, l i n ing, i nter l i n i ng, and/or

decorat ion-m ust a lso be i nc l uded. Keep ing tabs

on in format ion is the designer's respons ib i l ity.

U n ive rsa l G a r ment- C a re Sym bo l s

Machine Wash Cycles

Normal

Water Temperature

WASHING •

Care l abe ls for a pparel shou ld provide complete

i n struct ions regard ing care and any warn ing spe

cif ic to that ga rment to ensu re that the qua l ity

is not com prom ised. Warn ings shou ld use c lear

termino logy, such as "Do not i ron," " N o bleach,"

and " D ry c lean on ly." A system of u n iversa l

symbols for v i rtua l l y every conti ngency is a l so

ava i lab le .

Designer name labe ls, hang tags, and pr ice

t ickets a re usua l ly designed to be extens ions of

the brand.

Permanent Press

• •

Delicate Gentle

• • •

Hand Wash

Cold (86°F [30°C])

Warm (104°F [40°C])

Hot (122°F [SO°C])

BLEACHING


Any Bleach When Needed

Only Non-Chlorine Bleach When Needed

Do Not Wash

Do Not Ring

Do Not Bleach

Tumble Dry Cycles

[Q] [Q] Normal Permanent

Press

Tumble Drying Temperatures

D RYING

0 e Any Heat H igh Heat

Iron Dry or Steam

a ~ Low H igh

(230°F [11 0°C]) (392°F [200°C])

IRONING B Medium

(302°F [150°C])

o Dry Clean

D RY CLEANING

[Q] [ill] Del icate/ Line Dry Drip Dry

Gentle

G 0 Medium Heat Low Heat No Heat/Ai r

E1 Dry Flat

8 Do Not

Tumble Dry

8 Do Not I ron

Q No Steam

Do Not Dry Clean

187

N AV IGATION

9 1 Master and Apprentice

Master, apprent ice; i nstructor, student; mentor,

protege: The semant ics here a re not as i mpor

tant as the acts of giving and receiv ing that take

place when the i nexper ienced benefit from those

who have come before. Donna Karan started

work ing u nder Anne Kle in in 1970. I n 1 974, when

Kle i n passed away, Karan jo ined forces with

Lou i s De l l 'O l io to cont i n ue to bui ld on the Anne

Kle i n legacy. Th is partnersh ip cont inued unt i l

1 984, when Karan left to begi n her so lo career.

After the u nt ime ly death of her brother, G i a n n i

Versace, i n 1 997, Donate l l a Versace was ab le

to step i n and m ove forwa rd with h i s v is ion for

Versace. H e r exper ience and respect for the

b rand a l l owed her to honor the posit ion the com

pany had earned i n the fash ion world, and st i l l

p roject her v is ion for the fut u re of the labe l .

Yohj i Ya mamoto's da ughter, L im i Yama moto, was

exposed to fash ion ear ly in l ife. She carr ies on her

father's passion for design through her work, a

labe l ca l led L im i Feu . She had shown i n Tokyo for

severa l years before a successfu l Pa r is debut i n

2007. H e r father's aesthetic c a n certa i n ly b e felt

throughout her work, but the second-generation

Ya mamoto has an independent perspective on

fash ion a l l her own .

N ot on ly have these relat ionsh ips benefited the

"master's" brand, i n that the apprent ice can

ma inta i n the designer's v is ion of the brand, but

they a lso a l l ow the apprent ice the chance to

i nst i l l her own sens ib i l it ies i n the fash ion . It 's

a win-win s i tuat ion .


Fashion designers/sibl ings

Gianni and Donatel la

Versace, 1990

A model wearing an

ensemble from the L imi Feu

fashion show, 2010

N AV IGATION

9 2 Designing the Job

"Create a job you love, and you w i l l never have

to work a day i n your l i fe" : I t's a s l ightly mod if ied

vers ion of the wisdom of Confuc ius . Designing

your own job may sound l i ke a l u x u ry, o r perhaps

is the very defi n it ion of a fantasy, but i n sp ite of

how u n rea l i st ic i t sounds, there are some pretty

s imp le steps you can take to get a l ittle bit c loser

to that idea l work exper ience. The good news is

that a fash ion des igner i s a l ready o n the a rt i st's

path, so mak ing a n emotiona l i nvestment i n her

work i s par for the course.

Fi rst, no one wants to hear, "That's not my job."

If someth ing needs to be done, someone who

s incerely cares a bout the end resu l t a lso cares

a bout how to get there, so she ass igns herself

tasks that seem petty. Th is means there a re no

sma l l jobs .

Second, " I was on ly fol lowing o rders" i s just as

bad. H ave a point of view, a nd let your voice be

heard . R isk and sacrif ice come with the terr itory

if i n novat ion i s goi ng to take p lace. Every t ime

you suppress yourse l f and avo id u ncomfortab le

s ituat ions you deva l u e you rse l f and your work.

Fin a l ly, th is is n ot the domain of a select few.

H aving pu rposefu l p u rs u its, a n d lett ing your

work eth ic c lass ify you a s i nd i spensab le, is the

currency you need to rema in com petitive. Go ing

the extra mi le w i l l pay off i n the end.


,

The top ten things to

consider when designing

your u ltimate job: Ask

yourself how does this job meet your expectations with

regard to: 1) creativity; 2)

financial compensation; 3)

recognition; 4) commu nity

involvement; 5) productive

teamwork; 6) strong

leadership; 7) opportunity

for advancement; 8) ski l l

development and continu ing

education; 9) environmental

impact; 10) intel lectua l integrity.

1 0

191

N AV IGATION

9 3 External Influences

I nd iv idua ls and orga n izat ions that have the

a uthority to make their views known to a broad

aud ience can have a profound effect on p u b l ic

op in ion , and u lt im ately the commerc ia l success

of a designer. A nod of approva l from a respected

indu st ry profess iona l can fue l the f i re wh i le a

negative gesture may have the power to ext in

gu ish it .

C h r ist ian Bera rd, known as Bebe, was an a rt ist i n

Paris who had great i nf luence i n the 1 930s and

1 940s. H e was sought after by c l i ents of ha ute

coutur iers because his fash ion assessments held

a lot of weight. In many ways, he was a prede

cessor to the styl ist . Sty l i sts provide a va l uab le

service because they process fash ion in formation

in a way that takes into cons iderat ion the needs

of the c l ient, the vis ion of the designer, and the

environment i n which the work w i l l be see n .

A s long a s there are creat ive ind iv idua ls who

a re b rave enough to share the i r work with the

rest of the world, there wi l l be cr i t ics . Anyone

who i s pursu ing a career in fash ion i s fam i l i a r

w i th Vogue's editor- i n -ch ief, Anna Wi ntour. It i s

im porta nt to remembe r that she had esta b l ished

her reputat ion long before movies and books

made her a household name . Yea rs of experience

a re respons ib le for her i m measurab le i m pact o n

t h e careers o f designers and the fas h ion i n d u stry

as a whole .

Whether the source of i nf luence i s interna

t iona l , nat iona l , reg iona l , or loca l , there w i l l be

journa l i sts, ed itors, and sty l i sts who he lp gu ide

the d i rection for fash ion under thei r watch . On

the g loba l stage, G race Coddington, Hamish

Bowles, and Andre Leon Ta l l ey a re just a h a ndfu l

of fash ion ed itors who a re held i n h igh regard for

how wel l they a re ab le to interpret fash ion . These

a rb iters of taste enjoy a broader understand i ng

of the fash ion la ndscape and, as a result , a re i n a

posit ion to share inva l uab le feedback. Although

designers shou ld a lways trust their i n st i ncts,

they wou ld be wel l advised to l i sten when the

cr i t ic ism is construct ive.


G race Coddington and

Hamish Bowles attend a

Marc by Marc Jacobs fashion

show, 2010.

Andre Leon Talley

N AV IGATION

9 4 Lifestyle: A Rosetta Stone

The designer d iscovers or creates h i s un ique

Rosetta stone, a pr imer that he lps h i m to decode

and t rans late the i ntr icacies of other f ie lds .

Armed with a key, he approaches h is design

cha l lenge as an i nterpreter. Although he needs to

work with in the natura l bounda ries of h i s c raft,

he can introduce h i s aud iences to new th ings,

educat ing them as to how v iab le and va luab le

they a re w i th in the fra mework of fash ion .

Whether it's pop cu l tu re o r sc ience and techno l

ogy, ga in ing insights into other areas stim u lates

the des ign process and spawns new ideas.

The a rts have a lways sti m u l ated the creative

m ind, but dedicated pract ice of another a rt

form-whether it is pa int ing o r performance

gains adm iss ion into a new d imens ion of that

a rt ist ic out let . Ana lyz ing hort icu lture and the cu

l inary arts provides ins ight into how to cu lt ivate

p lant l ife and prepare food. An ima l , i n sect, and

sea l ife a lso broaden the scope of u ndersta nd ing

of how th ings work. Even if i n -depth comprehen

s ion is not the goa l , a casual acqua intance with

the subject can be enough to t rigger an idea if

the des igner is open to it .


Fashion and art:

preschool masterpiece by Zak Atkinson as inspiration

Fashion and techno logy: Fashion and architecture: Fashion and food:

c i rcuit board surface as decoration reflecting patterns in man-made structures produce provides a source of si l houette and color

Fashion and transportation: Fashion and nature: Fashion and lifestyle:

emu lating the f inish and f la ir of automobi les identifying layers of texture in landscapes beach toys provide common reference points

195

N AV IGATION

9 5 Fashion Portals

There i s l i tt le point to a l l the hard work i nvolved

in fash ion design if the fi na l product doesn't go

a nywhere . Designers m ust a lso design system s

that d istr ibute the ir work t o m a ny d i fferent des

t i nat ions, ut i l iz ing lots of channe ls-with each

channe l hav ing a d ist i nct message.

I n -store, it is a l l a bout ha nger appea l . Reta i lers

expect the prod uct to be packaged in a way that

ma inta i n s the i ntegrity of the design.

Screen a ppeal ru les o n l i ne, and that means

beaut i fu l , c lear images. The e-commerce experi

ence fal ls short in m a ny ways beca use there is

no way to touch the fa bric or try o n the garment .

A p icture m ust provide a great deal of v isua l

i n format ion and be strong e nough to engage

the customer.

A showroom is a br idge between des igner and

buyer. The sa les representative m ust be in formed

and invested in the prod uct because she i s edu

cating and st i m u l at ing the c l ient i n order to make

the sa le .

Ce lebrity associat ion is one of the eas iest ways

to scale u p perceived i m portance when the de l iv

ery channe l is through imagery-either motion or

st i l l shots. Having a we l l - known persona repre

senting the prod uct i s an a sset.

Pop-up stores, tak ing a co l l ect ion on tour, tru n k

shows, a nd private shopping experiences a re just

a few of the guer i l l a tactics that can be em ployed

to surprise and seduce the shopper.

Fash ion shows and shopping events put the

c lothes o n d isp lay with i n the context of enter

ta i n ment . The ru nway presentat ion i s t rans

formed w ith theatr ical models, ha i r, make up,

and sty l i ng.


I t 's i m portant to com partmenta l i ze d i fferent

needs for the press and what they u lt imately

need to de l iver to their aud iences, as wel l : A

b logger is look ing to express h i s op in ion; the

journa l ist needs to present the facts; an editor

needs to place the designer's work with in the

context of the c u rrent v is ion for the market. How

can you he lp each of them reach the i r goa l s?

Last, and most i m portant, pub l ic op in ion and

word of mouth are para mount . Pub l i c op in ion , i n

part icu la r, i s a powerfu l conveyor of messages.

It a lso va l idates and perpetuates a designer's

reputation .

The fashion show: Girls Rule!

Runway fashion show at

Bryant Park during New York

Fashion Week

The pop-up store: Puma

transformed shipping

containers into prefabricated

retail stores that can l itera l ly

pop up a nywhere.

197

N AV IGATION

9 6 Diversification and Specialization

F ind one th i ng you d o we l l , a n d do j u st that .

Whether the n iche is br ida lwear o r sk iwea r,

the path to spec ia l izat ion i s one which requ i res

that a designer focus exclus ively on a part icu lar

market and master the design i ntr icac ies un ique

to that f ie ld.

F ind one th i ng you do we l l, a n d tran s late what

was successful a bout it into many d ifferent prod

ucts. Dur ing the late 1 800s, Bu rberry estab l i shed

itself by focus ing o n outdoor att i re . The com pa ny

is a l so credited with the i nvent ion of gabard i ne,

a d u rab le , breathab le, water-resistant fa br ic . At

the start of Wor ld War I, the com pa ny was com

m iss ioned to deve lop what ended up being the

trench coat. I ts s ignature tartan was i ntroduced

d u ring the 1 920s as a l i n i ng for the coat.

The symbols of the b rand a re i nterpreted and

adapted to the needs and desires of today's

consumer. Outerwear i s st i l l at the heart of the

b rand , but items such as the icon ic trench coat

a re re i magined each season. The c lass ic b lack,

tan, and red Bu rberry pattern , n ow a registered

trademark, is no longer re legated to l i n i ngs. I t

can be found o n appare l , f ragra nces, accessories,

luggage, and even swimwea r.

There i s a n a rgument to be made for both s ides,

but d iversificat ion defin itely benefits from the

prestige of having done one th i ng wel l for a long

t ime . Good fou ndat ions provide an exce l lent

environment for experi mentat ion and expa ns ion .


Right: Bridal gown

Below: Skiwear ensemble by

M. Mi l ler

� I o ..., () is m � ro m Z ); ;;:

� __________________________________ � z

j I

A model displays a swimsuit

ensemble by Bu rberry, 2005.

N AV IGATION

9 7 Crowdsourcing Style

Too many cooks i n the kitchen spoi l the soup,

and too many op in ions d u ring the design process

can t u rn out d i l uted or i n coherent work. H erd

behavior often strives to a ppeal to the l owest

common denominator. Bei ng wel l awa re of the

downs ide of des ign by com mittee i s a good

reason for creating a f i l ter for feed back a n d cr it i

c ism, construct ive o r otherwise.

The fl ip s ide of th i s i s the posit ive power of the

people . C rowdsourc ing i s reach ing out to b road

aud iences-most commonly over the I nternet

to he lp develop des igns, ra ise money, a n d

mobi l ize people. Services s u c h as K ickstarter

.com he lp vo l u nteer o rga n izat ions, cha r it ies,

startups, designers, and bands level the p laying

f ie ld between a m ateurs a nd profess iona ls . They

remove the midd leman, a l lowing a designer to

go d i rectly to the customer for content, fund ing,

and d ist r ibut ion . The goa ls of crowdsourc ing

inc lude f ind ing resou rces, outsou rc ing projects,

f ind ing fund i ng, cou rt i ng insp i rat ion, ga i n i ng a

democratic consensus, m i n i m iz ing costs, a n d

tak ing adva ntage o f t h e wisdom o f t h e masses.

When i t is managed we l l , mass co l la boration

can be leveraged to take advantage of having

m u lt i ple designers part ic ipat ing i n problem solv

ing, m u lt ip le sources contr ibut ing com ponents of

the des ign, and f ind ing scores of patro ns who w i l l

support a designer's v is ion .

M a king a good p itch on l i ne is not much d i ffer

ent from the process of d rafting a bus iness p lan

to i m press a ban ker. A compe l l i ng case m ust be

made, beca use investors of any k ind a re look

ing for sound ideas a s wel l as a spa rk- not to

ment ion a reward for gett ing involved. Tak ing

advantage of th is platform raises awareness and

he lps to ga uge what people actua l ly want, and

potent ia l ly e m powers part ic ipa nts to become a

com m u n ity of brand c it izens.


Above: Designer Valerie

Mayen of Project Runway

fame, used Kickstarter.com

successfu l ly to raise funds for

a startup venture. The project

is a fashion design incubator

ca l led Buzz & Growl, based in

Clevela nd, Ohio.

NAVIGATIO N

9 8 Labors of Love: DIY

I t 's easy to say " I cou ld have done that." As a ny

designe r knows, sett i ng as ide the t ime, getting

o rga n ized, and figuri ng out exactly how to do

that i s a nother th i ng a ltogether. Sati sfaction is

c ited as the pr imary motivation for do ing i t your

se lf, which expla i n s why so many i nvest t ime and

money i n c lasses, workshops, books, magaz ines,

and kits that a l l ow them to l itera l ly take matters

into the i r own hands .

Writ ing off homespun attempts at fash ion as

mere ly crafts and hokey hobbies i s a m istake.

Although the resu lts may d isp lay an obvious lack

of tra in i ng, great inge n u ity and a wea lth of rough

concepts often can be pol ished in the hands of

a tra i ned designer. Many t h ings produced in th i s

environment cater to u n ident ified n iche markets

that m ight have otherwise gone u n noticed by

designe rs . The i nf luence of these m icroma rkets

shou ld not be u nderest imated. Natura l ta lents

with the potent ia l to t ransform a past ime into a

career now have d istr ibut ion channe ls such as

Etsy.com and p u b l ic markets i n which art isa ns

and asp i ring designers can show and se l l the ir

work. Pay attent ion to trends in these ma rkets.

Etsy success story: Moop, a

Pittsburgh-based company

that designs and manufac

tures handmade bags, was

able to use the website to

bui ld their business. Owner/

designer Wendy Downs

describes Etsy.com as a

place she could experiment

with and learn how to run

a business.

201

N AV IGATION

9 9 Rapid Prototyping: Twenty-Four- Hour Fashion

Real ity shows such a s Project Runway a n d proj

ects such as the 24- H o u r F i lm making Festival

a re good exa m ples of popu l a r "s i nk or swim"

enterprises. Be warned, however, that condens

ing the t ime a l l owed for a project to be executed

can produce both br i l l i ant a n d d i sast rous resu lts .

As enterta i n ment, it m ight be fun to observe

the praise and the pitfa l l s , but in the real world,

th i s cou l d correlate to the begi n n i ng or end of a

career. Work ing i n the fash ion ind u stry doesn't

a lways mean r u n n i ng at breakneck speeds, but

it does demand that creatives be able to make

smart dec is ions i n cr is is mode.

N ot everyone i s cut out for it , so it's i m portant

to i m pose t ime-sens it ive cha l l enges to test for

vu lnera b i l i t ies . These a re great opportu n i t ies to

learn h ow to ant ic ipate and avoid the k inds of

th ings that have the potent ia l to dera i l the design

process. S ituat ions in wh ich speed i m pedes the

process and t h reatens to thwart creativity a re

idea l occas ions i n which to cons ider the sk i l l s

that st i l l need to be honed; i m m ed iate s ituat ion

assessment, qu ick decis ion mak ing, effi c ient

appl icat ion of techn iq ues, fast problem solving,

and/or c reative reso urcefu lness.

Some designers th rive o n the stress of t ight,

and sometimes u n rea l i st ic , dead l ines . Rapid-f i re

fash ion design re l ies heavi ly on i n st inct a n d ex

per ience . Beyond cross ing the f in ish l i ne, success

under these condit ions shou ld a l so be measured

by how we l l executed the work is, and how

c lea rly the designer's v is ion is perceived. Speed

as a cata lyst for good des ign is a d ifficu l t th i ng to

susta i n . The rush of these pressure-cooker proj

ects may provide a n add ictive rush of adrena l i ne,

but that i s h a rd to rely on .


(uni)forms are designer/

artist Ying Gao's response

to the phrase "Speed ki l ls

creativity." By using morphing

software, she was ab le

to generate new un iform

designs based on the origi na I

within seconds.

Original 1940s German female worker's un iform

� I o .... o � ro -< o o s: Z is "' S; o z o

Ying Gao (un i)form #1 Ying Gao (uni)form #2

Ying Gao (un i)form #4 Ying Gao (uni)form #5

•• � I .... .

Ying Gao (uni)form #3

Ying Gao (uni)form #6

203

N AVIGATION

1 0 0 What Is Good Fashion?

Assign ing va lue to someth ing that stems from i n

d iv idua l c reat iv ity i s a very su bjective th ing when

the on ly criteria a re the sta ndards of the day. I n

addit ion to being judged for its aesthetic va l ue,

fash ion is a lso charged with being funct iona l . I n

h indsight, it i s easy to a ssess why some houses

endure, some make a br ief but sign if icant m a rk

at a s ingu lar point i n t ime, and some fade from

memory. The t h i rd group, a lthough it demands

greater effort, has the potent ia l to reward us

with excit ing d iscoveries. For instance, not m a ny

peop le know that a rch itect Fra n k L loyd Wright

designed d resses for h i s wife and for a se lect few

of the lad ies he created homes for. So, what type

of designer produces good, if not great, fash ion?

The inventors, who introduce unprecedented

ideas- necessity often fue ls these designers, a s

they approach a design cha l lenge us ing a lter

native m ethods. The a rch itects, who design

the bu i l d ings we i n h a b it-they w i l l a l so look to

create a l i festyle a round the i r v is ion to ach ieve

a com prehensive u n ity. The scho lars, who a re

the standard-bearers, serving and protect ing the

a rt and craft of fash ion-they i m merse them

selves in the m i n ut ia of how others t h roughout

h i story have done it , and as a resu lt, they keep

those practices a l ive. Without these stewa rds of

fash ion, every generation of des igners wou ld be

start ing from scratch . And fi n a l ly, the rebels

whether we understa nd them or not we apprec i

ate the iconoc lasts because they have an im pact

on o u r l ives. Thei r imagi nat ion and passion for

the work is fue led by an u ny ie ld ing need to pro

voke and cha l l enge us. A lexander McQueen was

one of those bad boys of fash ion who was known

for being t rue to h i s v is ion . H e w i l l be remem

bered for the power and pu r ity of h i s work. I n the

end , one word def ines good fash ion . I n tegrity.


A model wearing a gown

from Alexander McQueen's

last col lection during the

2010 CFDA Fashion Awards

at Alice Tu l ly Ha l l at Lincoln

Center, 2010

� I 0 -< 0 � -< ,. Z 0 � m '" � '" i' '" m � m -< -< -<

� l> to m �

205

CO NTRI B UTOR I NDEX

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

Alyce Santoro

www.a lycesa ntoro.com

Berber Soepboer & Michiel Schuurman

www.berbersoepboer. n l

Blauer Uniforms

www.b lauer.com

Bob Packert

www.packertphotography.com

Boston Ballet

www.bostonba l let .org

Cory Stierley

www.csphotogra ph ic .com

Daniel Faucher Couture

www.dan ie l fa uchercouture.com

Dominique Lafond

www.dom i n ique lafond .com

Fine Art by T

f inea [email protected]

Goods of Conscience

www.goodsofconscience.com

Isaac Mizrahi

www. isaacmizra h i ny.com

Jessica Weiser . . .

www.Jess lcawe lser.com

Joel Benjamin

www.joel benja m i n .com

Karolina Zmarlak

www.karo l inazmarlak.com

Kevin Day

www.kevi ndayphotography.com

Lucy Orta

www.stud io-orta.com


17. Marie-Eve Tremblay

m .evetremb lay@hotmai l .com

18. Massachusetts College of Art and Design

www. massart .edu

19. Moop

www. moopshop.com

www.etsy.com/shop/moop

20. Oscar Correcher

www.oscarcorrecherphotography

. b logspot.com

21. Philips Design, SKIN Probe Project

www.design . p h i l ips .com/probes/projects

/dresses/index .page

22. Poor Little Rich Girl

www.shoppoorl i tt le r ichgir l .com

23. School of Fashion Design, Boston

www.schoo loffas h iondesign .org

24. Sebastian Errazuriz

www. meetsebastian .com

25. Simplynate Photography

www.s im plynate.com

26. Tracy Aiguier

www.tracya iguier.com

27. Uniform Project

www.theun i formproject.com

28. Valerie Mayen Buzz & Growl

www. buzzandgrowl .com

www. kickstarter.com/projects/ye l lowca ke/

buzz-and-growl-c levelands-new-fash ion-

incubator

29. Victoria Dominguez-Bagu

mariavictor iadesigns@gma i l . com

30. Ying Gao

www.cava a l l e r. b logspot.com

AC KNOW LEDG M ENTS

Special thanks to

Robert Frye, Vio la Gonza lez, Tina Ca lder in , J a ke & Ena Ca lder in ,

Patr ic ia & Wa l lace Frye, K i l sy C u r ie l , Rafae l V i l l a lona, Kathy P i l a rsk i ,

R ichard B rooks, Mary G a rthe, Jacobo & Edith Ca lderin ,

Fructuoso & G lor ia Gonza lez, Carmen Rita G onza lez, Rebecca Gonza lez,

Jenn ifer H udson, J aycey Wether i ngton, Jac lyn McGeehan, J a m ie Mendoza,

Doreen Mendez, A l ic ia Ken n edy, Betsy G a m mons, Roy tel Montero, Ros ina Rucci ,

C h e ry l R ichardson, James H a n non, Sondra G race, R ichard Bath, Joel Benjamin ,

Bob Packert, Victor ia Domiguez- Bagu, Mar ie-Eve Trem b lay, L isa Baker,

Tracy A igu ier, Jane Conway-Caspe, Jayne Avery, Dana M oscarde l l i , Terri Mahn ,

Dan ie l Fa ucher, L isa Ta ra nto, E l a i na Ba risa no, L isa M icheels , Phy l l i s M isite

Lou is Selvite l l a , M ered ith Byam-Mi l le r, N ancy H a rt, Maric la i re H ess ion-Landman,

Laura , Har rison & Amanda Soelter, Betha ny VanDe lft, M u njeet Geyer,

A lex, Cynthia & Zak Atk inson, Mark Ba i ley, Tony H a lston, Donna Rice,

Chuck Lacombe, Wendy Downs, Va ler ie Mayen, Rachel Kacenjar,

Mar ie Ga lv in , Shaunt Sar ian , Jen nifer Lu r ie, Er ika Sta i r, Sarah C a rnabuci ,

Amie Be lobrow, S h i nroku Ohash i , L isa Kop low N ogler,

Joe Car l , Shannon G lasheen, Jeff Lahens, She l ley C h h ab ra,

Marie l MacNaughton, C h a rles H e ightchew,

Ying G ao, Father Andrew O'Connor, a n d L isa Koenigsberg

Thank you to facu l ty, admin istration, and students past a n d present

at the School of Fash ion Design in Boston .

A BOUT THE AUTHOR

Jay Calderin was born a n d raised i n N ew York

C ity. The Los Angeles Times ca l led h i s fi rst book,

Form, Fit, and Fashion, "a new fas h ion b ib le for

designers, asp i re rs, and the j ust p la in cu r ious;

th is tome conta ins a l l the secrets." After m ov-

ing to Boston a n d d i scover ing the great wea lth

of local fash ion ta lent, he adopted the city as h i s

new home, where he fou nded and became the

executive d i rector of Boston Fash ion Week.

He is an i n structor a nd the d i rector of creative

market ing at the School of Fash ion Design i n

Boston, a posit ion that a l lows h i m to be i nvolved

in progra m m i ng development a nd com m u n ity

outreach, wh i le also funct ion ing as an i n d u stry

l ia i son . I n addit ion to the wide va riety of fash-

ion and profess iona l deve lopment courses he

teaches at S FD, he has a lso served as a n i n struc

tor at the Massach usetts Col lege of Art and

Design, B u rdett Col lege, a n d Lase l l Co l lege. H i s

p u rs u its a s a professiona l coach a n d motivat iona l

speaker have afforded h i m opport u n it ies to share

h i s ideas about the a rt and i ndust ry of fash ion at

i nst itut ions i nc l ud ing H a rva rd U n iversity, Wel les

ley Col lege, Tufts U n ivers ity, Les ley U n iversity,

Babson Co l lege, Museum of F ine A rts Boston ,

Pea body Essex Museum, Boston Pub l ic L ibrary,

and the Hatch Festiva l i n Bozeman, Montana .


I n h i s capacity as a fash ion designer h i s work

has graced the pages of Vogue, £lIe, the Boston

Globe and the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. H e

has authored numerous a rt ic les and col u m ns for

newspapers, magazines, and the I nternet. He has

worked as a n accred ited fash ion editor, photog

rapher, and as a fash ion com mentator for te levi

s ion . He c redits h is so l id fou ndation in fash ion to

h i s t ra i n ing at the H igh School of Fash ion I ndus

t r ies i n N ew York C ity. The school c u lt ivated a

work eth ic and a l legiance to exce l lence that has

served h im we l l ever s i nce. Th roughout h is career

he has m a i nta ined a passionate dedicat ion to the

i m portance of g iv ing back to the com m u n ity. As

an extens ion of that commitment, he works with

loca l charit ies a s we l l as grassroots e ndeavors to

n u rt u re a n d develop new ta lent-a d riv ing force

beh i n d h i s work with the Fash ion G roup I nterna

t iona l as a regiona l d i rector in Boston .

See h i s website a t www.ca lder in3 .com.

Fashion Design Essentials

Documents

Transcript of Fashion Design Essentials